Author: guanyinmiao

A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting. Carlos Castaneda.
Detail of two intertwined zippers, with blue and red teeth, like male and female, on white background

Singapore’s married women having less sex than desired: Studying couples and controlling for childbearing preferences

Posted on by guanyinmiao

As a result of stress and fatigue, married women in Singapore between 25 and 34 years old – said to be in their “peak childbearing age” (ST, Jan. 5) – are reported to have less sex than desired, which consequently affects how long they take to get pregnant (a phenomenon with fertility implications). Even though this study of 657 married women is the first in the country to examine the coital frequency or sex lives of this population, it could have studied couples as dyads and could have controlled for childbearing preferences, since sex is not just for procreation and can affect marital quality and satisfaction.

Woman in brown top reading paper

Policy challenges in ageing Singapore: A brief report

Posted on by guanyinmiao

Singapore is an ageing nation. Four key aspects of health and ageing are worth examining: The built environment, healthcare financing, long-term care facilities, and intergenerational support. Elderly Singaporeans may be fortunate to live in a well-connected ecosystem with the necessary facilities, but there are challenges in ensuring that they can consistently afford their needed healthcare. Furthermore, it is increasingly difficult to rely on loved ones for support. This brief report also questions the limits of individual responsibility and family-community support, the two key principles which underpin Singapore’s approach towards ageing.

Home in Singapore

Better labour conditions for foreign domestic workers: The mismatch between employers and non-employers, rhetoric and action

Posted on by guanyinmiao

After weeks of criticising the media for leading with eye-catching headlines of research findings but disappointing with thin exposition of the research methodology, TODAY – from a large-scale study with many different findings (many of which were aptly summarised in the news report) – did an excellent job of highlighting an interesting and seemingly paradoxical observation: “That while Singaporean respondents supported better labour conditions for foreign domestic workers, this sentiment did not necessarily translate into good employment practices” (TODAY, Dec. 19).