The meaning of marriage : a study of marriage and housing in Singapore

• Main Author: Lim, Michelle Min Qi.
• Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Family, marriage and women
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/51604
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

“Want to apply flat?” This sentence best represents the stereotypical unromantic Singaporean men’s proposal. Due to Singapore’s small landmass, housing is a scarce resource. In order to effectively distribute this limited resource and to increase fertility, the government has put in place certain legislations to make marriage an important consideration to purchase a flat. In examining the behavior of Singaporeans’ attitude to housing, this research attempts to find out the meaning that Singaporeans accord to marriage. This paper will discuss young educated Chinese heterosexual individuals’ subjectivity with a specific focus on how the processes of purchasing a flat shape their perception of marriage as an institution. In particular, it will explore what marriage means to these individuals through examining how housing is symbolic of marriage.