Evolving Liberal Familialism in Singapore

• In Event: 275 - Regular Session. Transnational and Racial Dimensions of Care Work/Caring Labor

Abstract

How has this market-based familial care regime – termed “liberal familism” by Ochiai (2010) – changed in the city-state of Singapore since 2000? To begin with, there has been an overall increase in state-level input in terms of both financial subsidies and direct care service provisions for children and the elderly. While the number of children enrolled in these centres has steadily increased over the years, the number of places available in the childcare centres consistently exceeded enrolment. The lower utilization of centre-based care for children may be due to low-wages for care workers (which impacts the quality of care) and more trust in family members. Regarding care for senior citizens, the key government schemes are Eldershield (to subsidize long-term care) and Workfare (to subsidize earnings). However, the state remains steadfast in its position that institutional care of the elderly should remain a last resort. In sum, the newly-implemented measures for care of the elderly do not seem to be as comprehensive as those for the children, indicating a divergence in terms of state-sponsored services for these two groups. Moreover, the figures for the Care Diamond for childcare and eldercare illustrate that individuals still rely on the family as the most important source of care. Finally, the shape of the Care Diamond was calculated based on available government statistics, excluding care provided by the foreign domestic helpers (FDWs) at home. In reality, FDWs play an important role in providing care-giving in the family for both the old and the very young.

Author

• Shirley (Hsiao-Li) Sun, Nanyang Technological University