articles catalogue

How “Helicopter Parenting” Harms Children, and the Culture 

Eyes on the Price: A Cultivate Commune (March) update 

eyes on the price text
The more people prize parenthood, the less deterred they are by its perceived price. The reverse is also true. These were the findings from our “Eyes on the Price” supplementary analysis released at our Commune on 28 March. With our society becoming more atomised and narratives thinking of children as a burden, can we refocus our values and priorities as a society?

Even in Old Age, Marriage Matters 

old asian married couple with their foreheads touching
As the foundation of family life, the benefits of marriage for children are well-known. But what about the elderly? Elderly who never married or are divorced or separated tend to have weaker intergenerational connections, being less likely to provide and receive support from their families. In “super-aged” Singapore, strengthening marriages must be a key priority, even as we look out for vulnerable seniors.

Sandwiched Families: Too Many Ways to Make a “Sandwich”?  

sandwiched family singapore
Conceptually, there is no one definition of a “sandwiched” family, ranging from those who live together or nearby, to different kinds of support or care provided to young and old. A reasonable estimate suggests there are more than 100,000 sandwiched households in Singapore. Perhaps valuing and supporting people in their caregiving journeys may be a more constructive way forward.

More For You

Cultivate Unpacks: Sex and Gender

Cultivate Unpacks is a series to unpack some of the current terms being used in social discourse today. In this piece, we look at “sex” and “gender”.

Social Media: “Burn” Someone, or Light the Way?

Imagine that you have a flaming torch in your hand. The fire at the end of the torch emits both heat and light. You can use this torch to set fire and burn someone or something, or you can use it to light a path in the darkness.

Is Identity Politics Always Bad?

There are two kinds of identity politics. “Common enemy” identity politics tends towards polarisation, division and conflict, while “common humanity” identity politics tends towards social harmony. We should have more of the latter, and less of the other.

What we are reading

Articles here are for perspective and may not represent our views