Family and Population Changes in Singapore: A Unique Case in Global Family Change
June 7, 2018
In the 1990s, Singapore grounded “Asian family values” of love, care, mutual respect, filial piety and commitment as its core national “Shared Values.” After two decades, the country’s population has tripled and become more globalised, yet Singapore has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. Do these family values still remain relevant for young adults’ these days, or have they become outdated?
Professor Wei-Jun Jean Yeung and Dr Shu Hu (NUS Centre for Family and Population Research) suggest that some cultural shifts and institutional adaptations are crucial to raise marriage and fertility rates in Singapore. Prof Yeung and Dr Shu look into the challenges within Singapore’s family and population structures. They suggest that the hesitation of young adults to form families is tied to Singapore’s high cost of living, as well as its highly competitive environment for both parents and children. Furthermore, Singapore bases its social policies of a narrow definition of family, offering limited support for families that do not fit into the ideal of a two-parent heterosexual family.
As part of their new book, Family and Population Changes in Singapore: A Unique Case in Global Family Change, Prof Yeung and Dr Shu also discuss the policies involved in maintaining the Asian family model. Unlike previous generations, young adults today encounter a wholly different society, and hold differing sets of values regarding marriage and parenthood. Rather than being fixated on an ideal family structure, more open discussions about what family norms and functions are necessary to inform public policy making.
Read more here.