"Got girl/boyfriend or not? When wan get married? When wan have children?" Digging below your relatives' favorite festive season questions

• Main Authors: Cheong, Janin, Lim, Nicole Jin Ying, Tan, Jireh Teck Ern
• Other Authors: Teo You Yenn
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2024
• Subjects: Social Sciences; Dating; Marriage and parenthood; Societal norms; Evolving cultural norms; Facework; Economic theory of marriage
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/175725
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Exploring the changing perceptions surrounding marriage and parenthood in Singapore, this paper delves into the interactions between dating experiences with attitudes towards marriage and parenthood among Singaporean university students. Current literature highlights the complexities of contemporary attitudes towards family formation, mainly pointing to the evolving cultural norms. This paper contributes to current literature through the use of interviews to shed light on the intricate relationship between personal experiences, societal expectations, and policy effects on individuals' decisions regarding dating, marriage, and parenthood. Incorporating the sociological concepts of Facework and Economic Theory of Marriage, it reveals how individuals navigate their social interactions and life decisions in a way that upholds their social image and the considerations of financial stability before committing to marriage and parenthood.