http://libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14649365.2016.1240225

Using a qualitative life history approach, this article offers to enhance our understanding of how remarriage impacts social mobility trajectories amongst ethnic minority women in Singapore. In particular, the attention to ethnic minority Malay women’s biographies reveals how the intersections of “ethnicity” and “class” render visibility to how re-partnership entails social exclusion that is morally and culturally coded concealing the emotional and material struggles that women in stepfamilies cope with. In comparing the lived experiences of remarried middle-class Malay women with their working-class counterparts, this article argues that stepfamily formation in Singapore in fact tends to deepen rather than mitigate vulnerabilities, particularly for the latter, thus failing to live up to the lure of economic stability that repartnerships are conventionally assumed to provide. In so doing, the article also argues for a nuanced understanding of social mobility as a non-linear process rather than an outcome.

Introduction: Disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have not only restricted people from performing occupations but also adversely affected their health and quality of life. However, the impact of the pandemic on Singaporean adults at different life stages remains unclear. This study aimed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on a range of community-living age groups' occupations and sense of well-being. Methods: Community-living adults in Singapore were invited to participate in this qualitative descriptive study. Thematic analysis was conducted to generate themes and identify common patterns (e.g. impacts on different occupations) in different age groups. Findings: Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews (young adults: 10, middle-aged adults: 10, older adults: 9) were conducted and thematically analysed, revealing three main themes: (1) impact on occupations, (2) impacts on personal well-being, and (3) responses to COVID-19 situation. Participants from all age groups experienced both positive and negative impacts across various occupations, such as productivity (work and study), leisure, and self-care activities. Young and middle-aged adults were less affected as they were more proficient in using technology to make adequate adaptations. Older adults were least equipped with coping strategies and thus the most compromised. In response to the impacts of the pandemic on occupations and well-being, participants from different age groups adjusted differently (e.g. adopting a sedentary lifestyle and developing different coping strategies). Conclusion: This study identified the impacts of COVID-19 on the daily occupations of Singaporean adults and how it is intricately linked with their well-being. Findings also revealed the significant role of technology in adapting to the COVID-19 situation. The younger Singaporean adults were more agile to make occupational changes and adaptations. More can be done by occupational therapists to assist community-living older adults to enable continued participation in meaningful occupations during pandemics. © 2022 Occupational Therapy Australia.

This paper tracks and explores the generational changes in the dynamics of racial identity and identification of Eurasians in Singapore, as reflected in family life. Eurasians are a historic mixed-descent community originating in the mixing of European and Asian cultures in the region since the 16th century. By analysing the embodied enactment and negotiation of mixed identities intergenerationally in the spheres of marriage and language choices, the paper reveals how families express and construct what it means to be Eurasian in the Singaporean context. This study draws on 30 interviews with self-identified Eurasians over two generations, including six paired intra-family interviews, illustrating intergenerational identity shifts. While the boundedness of racial identification appeared to be the norm for earlier generations, a tempering of race as a boundary marker and an openness to changing familial rhythms have served to encourage a lowering of race consciousness among younger Eurasians in Singapore.