Leaving the Marriage

Abstract

Chapter 4 reveals some of the reasons behind the marital dissolution, and the negotiation and consideration process Singaporean divorced respondents from diverse socio-economic background went through to arrive at the decision to dissolve the marriage. Why did the respondents choose to leave their marriage? How did they explain their reasons for initiating the divorce? What were their considerations before arriving at this decision? How did they speak about the divorce process? The narrative accounts of the respondents will address these questions and reveal the intricacies of how choices and decisions are made within the social, economic and policy contexts the respondents are located. I explore how they expressed their individuality and asserted their sense of self while involving significant members of their personal community and negotiating around social norms and policies.