Abstract
Hong Kong has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world and the number of single women continues to increase. We examined this phenomenon in the context of state moral projects and prevailing workplace culture to account for the decline. We propose that the contradictions in the behavior of Hong Kong women can be explained by theoretical discussions on formal legal rights at one end, and at the other, promotions of traditional family core values. We analyzed narratives of three single middle-class professional women with children to gain insight into how they negotiated and crafted their alternative, unconventional work-family scripts. We found that while they held a mix of traditional and modern notions and successfully coped with their scripts, there was disinterest in seeing themselves as part of an evolving community that is an alternative to the conventional norm of the heterosexual couple.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 9-38 |
Number of pages | 30 |
Journal | Asian Journal of Women's Studies |
Volume | 19 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Hong kong
- Life scripts
- Motherhood
- Singlehood
- Women
- Work
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Gender Studies