HS103 blog entry 10 (Response to 'Population and Health')

The population of pre-independence Singapore was often left to its own devices, and as a result of factors such as cultural values and unceasing immigration, the population growth rate was incredibly high. When the PAP came into power in 1959, it felt itself predisposed to check the rapid population growth in order to create more stability and manage development. Symbolic markers of their efforts include the ‘Two is Enough’ campaign in the 1960s, and the subsequent ‘Have Three Or More If You Can Afford It.’ Campaign in the 1980s which was meant to reverse the overly-successful effects of the ‘Two is Enough’ campaign (perhaps the effects of increased education on family patterns was underestimated during the 1960s).

In 2007, the fertility rate for Singaporean females was 1.29 (Singstat on Demography, 2007), a number significantly lower than what is needed to replace the population. Higher levels of education, increased individualism, and perceived difficulties in starting a family here are some of the contributing factors towards the low fertility rate. The PAP-led government is fervently attempting to reverse the changes they helped set into motion. The question is whether or not they’re efforts since the 1980s have been effective, considering that the fertility rate of women then was 1.82. It might be worthwhile to observe one of the government’s latest initiatives, the Social Development Unit.

The Social Development Unit was formed in 1984. Today, its main website is called ‘Lovebyte’ (www.lovebyte.org). Among the many pages in the website, several dating and communication services are promoted, and social events are advertised. One of the website’s mission statements is: “We want to create awareness amongst you, our eligible graduates, on the importance of marriage and family, and the need to start early.”

By 2006, more than 33,000 SDU members had gotten married, an average of 1700 each year. (MCYS on SDU, 2006).

Something interesting to take note of is that all of the membership plans, without exception, allow entry only to university graduates, a detail that is most curious considering that limiting membership works against the government’s explicitly stated goal of increasing the population. It suggests that the SDU is trying to achieve a particular kind of population growth, one skewed towards the higher educated. If it is simply a matter of observably lower fertility rates among university graduates, why should such stringent regulations exist for those outside of university circles?

Even assuming that SDU influence and activities has some significant part to play in encouraging 1700 marriages per year, the number is still relatively small and statistics show that fertility rates are still declining, regardless of the SDU’s efforts.

Overt SDU activities, such as the ‘Romancing Singapore’ campaign in 2003, are often stigmatized by a noticeably large proportion of Singaporeans. One often-cracked joke is that SDU stands for “single, desperate, and unwanted.” It seems as if there is a growing cynicism towards government-initiated attempts to influence the lifestyle choices of everyday Singaporeans; the reaction may be especially strong considering the SDU’s blunt approach to a social pattern of intimacy that is synonymous with ideas such as fated meetings, romance, and spontaneity.

It is more likely that the SDU will be more successful if it directs its efforts towards more subtle initiatives. The building of benches and chairs in quiet corners of parks and riversides are some examples of common-sense works by the SDU. SDU also sponsors events in more casual settings within universities; these events do not have any explicit themes of love or romance, but they can emphasize goals of social interaction between university students. The role that the SDU ought to play is similar to that of the aquatic animals in the movie, “The Little Mermaid”. While the mermaid and the sailor were sitting together on a small boat in a pond, the aquatic animals quietly sang in the background, creating the right atmosphere and mood for the couple.

That having been said, at present the SDU’s efforts are hampered by several factors. The first is its preoccupation with increasing the birth rates of university students alone. The second is that its sometimes inelegant approach is seen as offensive and demeaning to an increasingly cynical population. The third and final factor is that its efforts may very well be at odds with a Singapore culture that, for a whole host of reasons, does not look kindly upon the idea of having three children or more.


Reference List

Singstat on Demography. (2007). “Yearbook of Statistics 2008.” Pg 39. Retrieved from ‘www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/reference/yos/yos2008.pdf’ on 20 October 2008.

MCYS on Social Development Unit. (14 June 2006). “Social Development Unit.” Retrieved from ‘app.mcys.gov.sg/web/faml_promarry_sdu.asp’ on 20 October 2008.