Have I “adulted”? Understanding conceptions of adulthood amongst young people in Singapore

• Main Author: Chua, Jean
• Other Authors: School of Humanities and Social Sciences
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: DRNTU::Social sciences
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/73566
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

“Adulting” has become a recent slang used by many young people to describe themselves doing adult things. Beyond this performative emphasis on adult identity, little is known about young people’s experiences in transitioning to adulthood. In addition, literature on the pathways to adulthood are largely Western-centric, to supplement youth studies and address concerns of delayed and disorderly attainment of conventional role markers. Similar studies are not found in Singapore. Hence, this paper examines what it means to be an “adult” in Singapore, and how culture and structural conditions shape adulthood. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 Chinese Singaporean graduates who have been working for 1 to 5 years. Findings revealed that young people describe “adult” in their individualistic terms, and parental support is crucial in their transition to adulthood.