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Children and Their Fathers in Singapore: A Generational Perspective

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International Handbook of Chinese Families

Abstract

This chapter examines fathering practises in Singapore with respondents across three generations, from migrant settlers to their modern-day descendants. This generational perspective allows for an exploration of the changes in fatherhood practises and role modelling over four decades of Singapore’s industrial development in the period following decolonisation. Ideological shifts in the cultural image of the father are examined. The transformation of the father’s role, from a rigid, disciplinary patriarch to a more empathic and reflective “father-friend” has not been smooth, and its success is linked to socioeconomic class, education and democratic dialogue. Fathers lacking emotional vocabulary tend to practise silent intimacy, relying on wives to act as emotional intermediaries to communicate with children. Concomitant with the rise of consumerism, a pattern of fathers commodifying love through the advancement of gifts to family members is observed, with affluence levels tied to class determining the viability of such expressions. While some new fathers attempt to establish better dialogue with their children, the ecology of the state, with its emphasis on productivity, pushes fathers to concentrate on career, resulting in a perpetuation of silent intimacy to the detriment of children and family life.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Independent Researcher, Hong Kong, China

    Hing Ai Yun

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  1. Hing Ai Yun
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Correspondence to Hing Ai Yun .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Chan Institute of Social Sciences, Flat H, 15/f Century Indus Bldg, Tsing Yeung Street 1, Tuen Mun, Tsing Yeun, Hong Kong SAR

    Chan Kwok-bun

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Yun, H.A. (2013). Children and Their Fathers in Singapore: A Generational Perspective. In: Kwok-bun, C. (eds) International Handbook of Chinese Families. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-0266-4_20

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