TEO You Yenn's UNEASE: LIFE IN SINGAPORE FAMILIES

Beneath the gleaming facade of Singapore lies a palpable angst among its people. Through the perceptive analysis of interviews with 92 Singaporeans of different ethnicities, classes, educational levels, occupations, genders, and marital statuses, Singaporean sociologist TEO You Yenn puts her finger  on the sore spot in her new book Unease: Life in Singapore Families. Cannily she locates this gnawing sense of unease in the gap between national aspirations and familial realities. Singapore claims to be pro-family, and yet family life is hectic, anxious, and burdensome.

What follows is a fine-grained examination of societal structure (institutions, policies, etc.) and culture (norms, values, habits, etc.), the former creating the latter, the latter reinforcing the former, including a chapter devoted to gender and another to class. The book would be of interest only to scholars and Singaporeans if it does not also have penetrating things to say about inequality. The problem of inequality is not just the problem of uplifting the disadvantaged, Teo argues; it is a problem afflicting the whole of society. 

Inequality changes our values, the way we view ourselves and others. First, it promotes independence without ethical agency. Neoliberal capitalism teaches individual survival by any means, discouraging us from ethical reflection. Second, inequality inculcates conformity without solidarity. We learn to play by the rules in order to survive, but we abandon others in similar straits. Third, inequality valorizes success without deep respect for human worth. Success is defined in terms of status and wealth, undermining the intrinsic value of a human being. The greater the inequality in our societies, the more virulent are these harmful values. 

Here, the sociologist almost steps into the role of a moralist, but Teo is ready with her defense. As a critical sociologist, she works by the shorthand—describe, explain, activate—the last very close to advocacy. In her new book, she is wise enough not to prescribe any specific policy or program; instead, she leaves her reader to think more deeply about ethical agency, solidarity, and respect for human worth. 

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