INDIVIDUALIZATION IN SINGAPORE: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF YOUNG SINGAPOREAN WOMEN’S INSTAGRAM USAGE

Abstract

As proffered by contemporary social theorists, individualism is a distinguishing feature of identity in late modernity, where individuals are free to construct their own identities through acts of self-reflexivity, in light of the weakening powers of traditional structures in dictating roles and identities in society. However, critiques have pointed out the Eurocentric epistemology of this theory, arguing that traditional structures still work to constrain individuals in different contexts, albeit to varying extents, and through different mechanisms. This study therefore aims to further this discussion by focusing on the individualization experiences of Asian women, as mediated by social media. Through a qualitative study of female university students in Singapore, this study explores the tensions existing between agency and structure in the processes of individualization as lived by young Singaporean women, played out through their everyday experiences on the social media application (app) Instagram. Experiences were broadly categorized by consumption of ntent – how they made sense of what they see, and creation of content – how they present and ‘create’ themselves online. This study found that the individualization experiences of these young women were influenced by pre-­?existing biographies of gender socialization, religion, family traditions and culture, and peer group norms. As such, the process of individualization for young Singaporean women is not completely liberated, given that social structures still play a role in shaping identity construction, albeit in more nuanced ways.