Introduction

Abstract

This chapter introduces readers to the motivation behind the research project on divorce biographies in Singapore, goals of the study, the research methods adopted and the scholarly debates on this topic. It reviews the literature of family and relationship studies and discusses the current sociological engagements in the fields of personal life, intimacies and families. Setting the stage for us to understand divorce as a social phenomenon, I trace the ways in which the nature of marriage has undergone significant changes from as early as the beginning of the twentieth century, and discuss the various sociological perspectives ranging from structural functionalist, economic rationalist, moral conservative, social liberal and individualisation to postmodernist on major family transformations and increasing divorce rates. I review the existing divorce literature, present the general direction and themes of past divorce studies, and evaluate different theorists’ explanations of divorce. I also discuss the social phenomenon in the East Asian and Singaporean contexts. Thereafter, I delve into the organisation of the book, clarify on the questions and gaps this research seeks to address, and explain the specific aspects of Singaporean divorce biographies the book will cover.