Abstract
Singapore presents itself as a technologically advanced and modern Asian city state despite its small size. With one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, it is facing the challenge of a rapidly aging population. By employing an ethnographic fiction approach, we present a case study of four composites who symbolize different citizens embedded within the various economic strata of Singaporean society. In presenting our composites, we problematize the East-West dichotomy via which the issue of aging is filtered, and make a case for understanding aging in Singapore through the lens of political economy. Our composites explicate three core principles that are crucial to the aging narrative: (1) financing successful aging, (2) aging-in-place: displacing filial piety and the (3) impact of a rule-bound bureaucracy. Through the narratives of our composites, we problematize these core principles, in particular the disparity of the aging experience within four individuals from differing economic classes, despite living in the same country. Ultimately, we argue that while the system has been carefully constructed in order to meet the needs of the majority, it tends to reward those who follow the script of successful aging in Singapore, while potentially penalizing those who veer off course.
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Notes
- 1.
The Pioneer Generation Package (PGP) is a scheme introduced in 2014 to meet the healthcare needs of Singaporeans born on or before 31 December 1949, or aged 65 years or older in 2014. It is expected to cost SGD$9 billion. Extracted from: https://www.pioneers.gov.sg/en-sg/Pages/Home.aspx. Accessed 12 October 2020.
- 2.
The Merdeka Generation Package (MGP) is a scheme introduced in 2019 to mainly meet the healthcare needs of Singaporeans born on or before 1 January 1950 to 31 December 1959, or aged 60 to 69 years old in 2019. It is expected to cost SGD$8 billion. Extracted from: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/budget-2019-merdeka-generation-subsidies-clinics-11252912. Accessed 12 October 2020.
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Hazirah, M., Maulod, A. (2021). Unravelling the Threads of Successful Aging in Singapore. In: Selin, H. (eds) Aging Across Cultures. Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-76501-9_14
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