December 30, 2020

Photo: SRN’s SG Photobank/ Filbert Kuong

Many Singaporeans view divorce negatively. Divorce reflects a failed marriage – a deviation from the lifetime marital bliss that couples look forward to. However, the mean number of annual divorces has risen in Singapore over the last half decade. The Ministry of Social and Family Development’s recently released Study on the Intergenerational Effects of Divorce on Children in Singapore found that the children of divorced parents are more likely to suffer long-term socioeconomic disadvantages; they are more likely to earn less in their careers, less likely to marry, and more likely to get divorced if they marry.

In TodayOnline in “Beyond the impact of divorce on children, let’s not forget factors such as family environment and social class”, Associate Professor Tan Ern Ser (NUS Sociology) explores the socioeconomic impacts faced by children of divorced parents. Divorce could result in inadequate parental support for a child’s wellbeing and the consequent lack of positive role-models who could help such children inculcate important values that encourage aspirations, deferred gratification, discipline, and perseverance. Yet A/P Tan stresses that the socioeconomic disadvantages such children face, however intuitively logical and plausible, should not be simplistically viewed as outcomes of a dysfunctional family unit characterised by tension, and solely attributed to parental divorce.

Instead, any analysis on the socioeconomic outcomes of children in adulthood should consider the family’s social class, which constitutes an important dimension of the family environment. The family’s social class critically impacts social class reproduction and intergenerational mobility. In fact, A/P Tan suggests that when we consider the factor of family environment, it is likely that whether parents get divorced or stay married does not have a statistically significant impact on the socioeconomic outcomes of their children. For instance, a presence of other responsible adults could mitigate negative effects of absent or ineffective parents. These adults could serve as proxy parents, provide protection, and inculcate important life values to help the child become well-adjusted. On the other hand, a toxic marital relationship that is seemingly intact could be harmful, unless there is a presence of other responsible adults who can mitigate any harm caused to the child’s development.

In terms of policy, it is important that children with divorced parents have access to economic, social, and cultural capital which could mitigate the disadvantages caused by parental divorce. Such capital entails education – including early childhood education – and mentors who could nurture and guide children with divorced parents to acquire the soft skills and knowledge required to thrive in adulthood. The family environment that supports the child’s development should constitute a conducive space, especially in the current pandemic and digital era. Furthermore, A/P Tan supports the policy of providing pre-marital and marital counselling, and encouraging people who cannot commit to creating such conducive family environments for their children to reconsider or postpone their marriage and childbearing plans.

Read the full article here.