The state and the family : Singapore families in the economy.

• Main Author: Tan, Shaline Yen Ling.
• Other Authors: Sim Wai Chew
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Humanities::Literature::English
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/45204
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Families in Singapore find it difficult to detach themselves from the economy and the state. The Singapore family and the economy are intrinsically linked together by the ruling government, the People’s Action Party (PAP). More than often, the state’s policies impact the citizens economically, in particular, the middle-class families. And this gives rise to a phenomenon of materialism, where the middle-class families see pursuing of material wants as a means of comfort in Singapore. This essay seeks to argue that due to its multiculturalism background, the state attempts to divert its citizens to a common ground by aggressively promoting the old-struggling Singapore rhetoric, and also by actively engaging its citizens in material pursuits. The calculated steps of attaining economic efficiency have even seeped into the initial built-up of families in Singapore – also affectionately known as the Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) where marriage is now tied to the availability of public housing for young couples. This essay will delve into the relationship between the family and the state in the economic aspect by utilizing 3 primary literature works – Goh Poh Seng’s If We Dream Too Long, Tan Hwee Hwee’s Mammon Inc., and Colin Goh and Woo Yen Yen’s Singapore Dreaming. These works of art enable to give greater insights of the mentioned relationship and also to show monetary benefits are the only solutions to the problems of the people.