The effect of religion on marriage and gender ideology

• Main Author: Ong, Shi Ting
• Other Authors: Tan Joo Ean
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Social sciences::Sociology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/78827
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

This study examines the role that religion plays the marriage of Christian women in Singapore and how they understand their gender roles. Through qualitative in-depth interviews with 10 Christian women, findings suggest that religion does play an important role in marriage as Christian women imbue their marriages with sacred meaning and perceived their identity and role as a wife to contribute to a divine plan. Further, findings show that Christian women believe that both husband and wife have a different role to adopt in marriage and these roles are prescribed by the divine in His design for marriage. Finally, contrasts are present within the current sample by age. Younger and older respondents both believe in adhering to religious doctrine in terms of marital gender roles, but the way that it is rationalised and adopted in practice is different, with younger respondents basing and justifying their choice on biblical principles, while older respondents take to their roles with less resistance. Several recommendations for further research in the domains of marriage, religion and gender roles in Singapore are also provided.