Whose money is it, anyway? Financial organization and negotiation between young married couples in Singapore

• Main Author: Leo, Zhi Qing
• Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2014
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences::Sociology::Family, marriage and women
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/55799
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study examines how young couples in Singapore organize their finances and make financial decisions. It pays close attention to gendered forms of ideology, power, monetary influence, and control. A qualitative analysis with 8 heterosexual Singaporean couples reveals aspects of money management and household responsibilities as favorable to the development of egalitarianism in relationships. The data provides evidence that understandings of traditional gendered norms & culture, combined with education and women’s labor, could potentially lead to more equal relationships, which could re-establish gender in marriages, especially among younger couples. These couples revealed forming non-gendered patterns of relationships, specifically with regard to finances, as can be seen in the increasing fluidity and unpredictability of financial chores. Limitations and implications for future research are addressed.