Skip to main content
Log in

Intimacy and its Denial: When Sons and Daughters Talk About Fatherhood, Marriage, and Work

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Family and Economic Issues Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article, I want to offer two vignettes to show the internal workings, or the psycho-social interiors, of the Chinese family. How are the private, the personal, the internal, the local, and the familial being affected by the public and the global, by the external forces in the midst of globalization—and, of course, vice versa? One vignette concerns children: sons and daughters, talking about their own fathers and about fatherhood in Singapore. The other vignette concerns daughters and single women in Hong Kong talking about men, intimacy, sexuality, marriage, family, and, more importantly today, work. The two post-colonial societies are similar and different in a number of ways.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Astone, N. M., Dariotis, J. K., Sonenstein, F. L., Pleck, J. H., & Hynes, K. (2010). Men’s work efforts and the transition to fatherhood. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 31, 3–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan, K. B. (Ed.). (2011). International handbook of Chinese families. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, K. B., & Wong, O. W. H. (2005). Introduction: private and public: Gender, generation and family life in flux. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 26(4), 447–464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hing, A. Y. (2011). Children and their fathers in Singapore: A generational perspective. In K. B. Chan (Ed.), International handbook of Chinese families. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochschild, A. (1983). The managed heart. Berkeley: University of California Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hochschild, A. (1989). The second shift. New York: Avon Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, T. F., & Chen, J. (2006). Custodial fathers–Do they work more or fewer hours? Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 27, 513–522.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, C. W. (1959). The sociological imagination. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Partridge, M. (2011). Career negotiations of university-educated women. In K. B. Chan (Ed.), International handbook of Chinese families. New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sennett, R., & Cobb, J. (1993). The hidden injuries of class.  : W.W. Norton & Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tsun, A. O. K., & Lui-Tsang, S. K. (2005). Violence against wives and children in Hong Kong. Journal of Family and Economic Issues, 26(4), 465–486.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kwok-bun Chan.

Additional information

A keynote speech given at the eighth Biennial Conference of the Asian and Family Economics Association on July 2–4, 2009, Centcore Hotel, Yamaguchi, Japan, co-sponsored by Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi Prefecture Convention Centre, and Houyou Society.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Chan, Kb. Intimacy and its Denial: When Sons and Daughters Talk About Fatherhood, Marriage, and Work. J Fam Econ Iss 31, 382–386 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-010-9217-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10834-010-9217-0

Keywords