Gender equality in intimate relationships : an exploratory study.

• Main Author: Ting, Samantha.
• Other Authors: Kwok Kian Woon Anthony
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Family, marriage and women
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/44045
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

According to Giddens, the impact of modernity on social relations is significant. If the sphere of intimacy is increasingly ‘democratised’ as societies progress into late modernity, intimate relationships would progressively advocate principles of egalitarianism, autonomy and dialogue. This paper seeks to explore whether gender equality exists within intimate heterosexual romantic relationships in Singapore today, by drawing on accounts of modern Singaporean women’s experiences with the latter. As young Singaporean women enjoy the perks of increasing socio-economic mobility, it leads to the adoption of more independent masculine traits. Yet given the salience of persisting traditional Asian values in a fundamentally patriarchal society, this prevents the women from being fully emancipated from their traditional feminised social role. The result is a dichotomous perception of self, which pose arduous challenges in achieving gender equality within the sphere of intimacy.