A study on higher-educated women’s attitudes and choices towards family formation: The impact of citizenship in shaping family formation decisions

The issue of low fertility rates has always been a persisting concern in Singapore and despite the state’s continuous efforts in alleviating the problem by making adjustments and enhancements to pro-natalist policies, the country’s fertility situation leaves much to be desired. Public discourses and discussions of fertility issues have largely centred on higher-educated women, citing that their high educational attainment have resulted in widened career aspirations and weakened desire to form families. This paper however offers a different argument, contesting that the delayed family formation among higher-educated women are outcomes of institutional inconsistencies rather than the diminishing desire for marriage and family. In addition, decisions regarding family formation which are thought to be private and personal are in fact heavily regulated by the state and this is examined through the conception of the Singapore citizenship.Bachelor of Art