INTERDEPENDENCE IN SINGAPOREAN FAMILIES: A QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING HOW MARRIED COUPLES ORGANISE FAMILY LIFE

Abstract

The roles of men and women in the family have changed drastically over past few decades, and one reason for the shift in gender roles is the deinstitutionalisation of marriage. The current state of marriage is thus believed to be individualised, which means that couples no longer act as an integrated unit and remain in relationships only for as long as they receive personal rewards such as emotional support for self-development. However, this study argues for an interdependent model of marriage in a Singaporean context, based on qualitative data collected through interviews with married couples. It provides an empirical focus on the ways in which couples organise family responsibilities, as well as the factors that influence their decisions on family work. The interdependence argument is supported by evidence of couples’ integration and commitment in marriage as indicated by interdependent roles in the family, as well as their willingness to invest economic resources in the family and their children. Results reveal that married couples in Singapore practice interdependence in various aspects of marriage and family life in the form of equitably divided roles which are flexible, suggesting a shift towards egalitarianism. However, economic interdependence is motivated by the costs required to maintain a middleclass lifestyle rather than the shift towards egalitarianism, and the negotiation of household roles continues to perpetuate inequalities amongst couples since it is still shaped by the performance of gender.