The authors of Family and Population Changes in Singapore seem to assert that while

starting off traditionally, family behaviours have transitioned to “modernity” in the sense that

inter-ethnic and transnational marriages are more common, stigma towards divorce has

lessened, and individualism has led to less emphasis on extended family. Meanwhile, the

article in Sage Journals explores the reversal of traditional extended family roles in the rise

of “floating grandparents” in China, where rather than just being beneficiaries of filial piety,

grandparents often feel some obligation to help their children further by caring for

grandchildren.

These two pieces give us different angles of two prevalent topics in modern Singapore

—families and seniors. Agreeing with the first reading, divorce rates in Singapore continue to

rise. However, I would contest that while lessening stigma towards divorce and more

divorcee support may contribute, blame also falls on the value placed on marriage itself.

What used to last “’til death do us part” has increasingly become “’til I don’t feel like it”. One

potential cause lies in the rise of individualism where couples see themselves less as a single

married unit and more as two individuals under the same roof. This shift of definitions leads

to selfishness—my needs/wants come first—in relationships as opposed to selflessness—

their/wants come first. With regards to the journal article, while “floating grandparents” may

float around from rural to urban China, Singaporean grandparents face a different problem—

neglect. In our small and increasingly connected nation, grandparents may not travel far to be

with their progeny, but what follows is that said progeny takes such closeness for granted,

leading to an aging population with often apathetic caregivers.

These readings then beg the question: Should we chase after “modernity” and

individualism when its price is the breakdown of traditional family?