The Impact of Host Country Policies on the Overseas Chinese Family in Singapore

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to account for changes in the family construct of the Singaporean Overseas Chinese resulting from migration and settlement. The family institution then changes in response to family policy, so that today it bears little resemblance to the traditional blueprint. Differences between the family institutions of the three major racial groups in Singapore have emerged as a result of discriminatory policy pressures. The Singaporean government has used family planning policies to create the ideal social structure and human resource capital, possibly at the expense of Malays and women with less education. The fate of the Chinese family institution in Singapore may also differ to its counterparts in Malaysia and China. In Malaysia, the pro-Malay affirmative action program contributed to a dramatic reduction in Overseas Chinese fertility, while creating unintended consequences that are not easily reversible. The article concludes with issues for marketing scholars to ponder.