Intersectional Identities

Influences of Religion, Race, and Gender on the Intimate Relationships of Single Singaporean Malay-Muslim Women

Bibliographic Data

ID11220451
AuthorsHumairah Zainal (0000-0002-4323-3221, Nanyang Technological University, corresponding author)
Year2018
Volume54
Issue4
Pages351-373
Publication date2018-05-19
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMarriage & Family Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0149-4929 • E-ISSN: 1540-9635
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01494929.2017.1414725
OpenAlexW2789966332
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited33

Studies on rising singlehood in Asia have largely focused on the economic dimension. This article widens that lens by examining how religious beliefs influence single Singaporean women’s views toward marriage. Applying the intersectional paradigm expands our understanding of how religion maintains or challenges cultural norms as well as gendered and racial meanings. Drawing on in-depth interviews with 27 unmarried Malay-Muslim Singaporean women, it argues that instead of conceptualizing religion as a barrier that hinders the formation of intimate relationships, we can better understand its role in terms of how single Malay-Muslim women appropriate it to negotiate cultural constraints that limit their ability to tie the knot. The research bears important implications on how cultural and religious forces affect marriage patterns in multicultural and multireligious societies

Ethnic group · Intersectionality · Malay · Multiculturalism · Negotiation · Social science · Sociology · Anthropology · Asian Studies and History · Gender and Women's Rights · Gender Studies · Psychology · Social Psychology · Socioeconomic Development in Asia

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