Singlehood Phenomenon: Understanding Professional Sarawak Malay Women.


 

THE SARAWAK MUSEUM JOURNAL
VOL LXXIII NO.94 DECEMBER 2014
 
 
Title : 
Singlehood Phenomenon: Understanding Professional Sarawak Malay Women.
Author : 
Jamayah Saili
Abstract:
This conceptual paper is aimed to highlight the phenomenon of single professional Malay women in Sarawak. Changes in marital trends and family life in Malaysia and other South East Asian countries do not mirror those that have occurred in the west. Much of the research on single women in the west has only looked at singles based on their ‘civil status’ and failed to distinguish between single women who have never married and women who are divorced, widowed, separated or cohabitating. One of the most common explanations for being single is the concept of Jodoh and Qada and Qadar, it brings the same meaning to some of the metaphorical statements such as: “Things happened for reasons”, “Blessing in disguise”, “Wisdom behind it”, “kun faya kun' (what will be will be). The first section of this paper will review literatures on the concept of singlehood among Malays including the western and eastern concept of womanhood. This section will elaborate on some common reasons for not marrying and being single. The second part of this article focuses on the reflections of why singleness matter among Malays. The intent is to comprehend some explanations based on the experience to the question: “why are they not married?” and set out to understand “what went wrong?” This paper thus highlights the phenomenon of not married or singlehood among Sarawak Malay in the shifting, developing and post-colonial Sarawak and Malaysian society.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61507/smj22-2014-QV7X-03
How to cite:
Jamayah Saili. (2014). Singlehood Phenomenon: Understanding Professional Sarawak Malay Women. The Sarawak Museum Journal, LXXIII (94) : 41-56
References
  1. Abdullah, A. 1996. Going global: Cultural dimensions in Malaysian management. Kuala Lumpur: Malaysian Institute of Management.
  2. Adams, M. 1976. Single blessedness: observations on the single status in married society. New York: Basic Books Publishers.
  3. Allen, K. 1987. Single women/family ties: Life histories of older women. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
  4. Anderson, K.H., Hill, M.A. & Butler, J.S. 1987. Age at marriage in Malaysia: A hazard model of marriage timing. Journal of Development Economics, 26 (2), 223-234.
  5. Baumbusch, J.L. 2004. Unclaimed treasures: Older women’s reflections on lifelong singlehood. Journal of Women and Aging, 16, 105-21.
  6. Berger, P.L. & Luckman, T. 1966. The social construction of reality: A treatise in the sociology of knowledge. New York: Anchor Books.
  7. Bourdieu, P. 1996. On the family as a realize category. Theory, Culture and Society, 13, 19-26.
  8. Byrne, A. 2000. Single women’s identities in contemporary Irish society (Doctoral dissertation of Government and Society). University of Limerick, Ireland.
  9. Byrne, A. 2008. Women unbound: Single women in Ireland. In, V. Yans- McLoughlin, & R. Bell (Eds). Women alone, (pp. 29-45). Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
  10. Byrne, A. & Carr, D. 2005. Caught in the cultural lag: The stigma of singlehood. Psychological Inquiry, 16(2 & 3), 84-141.
  11. Carr, D. 2008. Social and emotional well-being of single women in contemporary America. In, R. Bell, M, & V. Yans-McLaughlin (Eds.), Women on their own: Interdisciplinary perspectives on being single, (pp. 58-82). Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press.
  12. Ching, Y.N.A., Phillips, D.R. & Lee, K.-M.W. 2002. Persistence and challenges to filial piety and informal support of older persons in a modem Chinese society: a case study in Tuen Mun, Hong Kong. Journal of Aging Studies, 16, 135-53.
  13. Cockrum, J. & White, P. 1985. Influences on the life satisfaction of never-married men and women. Family Relations, 34(4),551-556.
  14. Dalton, S.T. 1992. Lived Experience of never-married women. Issues in Mental Health Nursing, 13(2), 69-80.
  15. Darrington, J., Piercy, K.W. & Niehuis, S. 2005. The social and cultural construction of singlehood among young, single Mormons. The Qualitative Report, 10(4), 639-661.
  16. Department of Statistics, Malaysia. 2010. General report of the population and housing census of Malaysia, 2000. Department of Statistics Malaysia, Putra Jaya.
  17. DePaulo, B.M. & Morris, W.L. 2006. The unrecognize stereotyping and discrimination against singles. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 15(5), 251-254.
  18. Drummond, T., Kaufman, E., Moffett, A., Savaiano, J. & Sieger, M. 2000. “Flying solo: more women are deciding that marriage is not inevitable, that they can lead a fulfilling life as single. It’s an empowering choice, but for many not an easy one”. Time, 156(9), 46-53.
  19. Dugsin, R. 2001. Conflict and healing in family experience of second-generation emigrants from India living in North America. Family Process, 40(2), 233.
  20. Emery, P. & White, J. 2006. Clinical issues with African-American and white women wishing to marry in midlife. Clinical Social Work Journal, 34(1), 23-44.
  21. Erikson, E.H. 1968. Identity: Youth and Crisis. New York: Norton.
  22. Ferguson, S.J. 2000. Challenging traditional marriage: Never married Chinese American and Japanese American Women. Gender Society, 14(1), 136-159.
  23. Frazier, P, Arikian, N., Benson, S., Losoff, A. & Maurer, S. 1996. Desire for marriage and life satisfaction among unmarried heterosexual adults. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 13(2), 225-239.
  24. Fry, C.L. 1990. Cross-cultural comparisons of aging. In, K.F. Ferraro (Ed.), Gerontology: Perspectives and issues, (pp. 129-146). New York: Springer.
  25. Gordon, T. 1994. Single women and familism: Challenge from the margins. European Journal of Women’s Studies, 1, 165-182.
  26. Gordon, P.A. 2003. The decision to remain single: Implications for women across cultures. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 25(1), 33-44.
  27. Hassan, Z., Dollard, M. F. & Winefield, A.H. 2010. Work family conflict in East vs Western countries. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, 17(1), 30-49.
  28. Hassouneh-Phillips, D.S. 2001. “Marriage is Half of Faith and the Rest is Fear Allah”: Marriage and spousal abuse among American Muslims. Violence Against Women, 7(8), 927-946.
  29. Ibrahim, R. & Hassan, Z. 2009. Understanding singlehood from the experiences of never-married Malay Muslim women in Malaysia: Some preliminary findings. European Journal of Social Sciences, 8(3), 395-405.
  30. Javidan, M. & House, R.J. 2001. Cultural acumen for the global manager: lessons from Project GLOBE’. Organizational Dynamics, 29(4), 289-305.
  31. Jones, G. W. 1981. Malay marriage and divorce in Peninsular Malaysia: Three decades of change. Population and Development Review, 7(2), 255-278.
  32. Jones, G. W. 2004. Not “When to marry” but “Whether to marry”: The changing context of marriage decisions in east and southeast Asia. In, Gavin W. Jones, and Kamalini Ramdas (Eds.) (Un)tying the knot: Ideal and reality in Asian marriage, (pp. 3-58). Singapore: Singapore University Press.
  33. Jones, G. W. 2005. The “Flight From Marriage” in South-East and East Asia. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 36(1), 93.
  34. Jones, G. W. 2007. Delayed marriage and very low fertility in Pacific Asia. Population and Development Review, 33(3), 453-478.
  35. Kaslow, F. 1992. Thirty-plus and not married. In, B. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp.77-94). New York: Springer
  36. Koropeckyj-Cox, T. 2005. Singles, society, and science: Sociological perspectives. Psychological Inquiry, 16(2-3), 91-97.
  37. Lewis, K.G., 8l Moon, S. 1997. Always single and single again women: A qualitative study. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 23(2), 115-134.
  38. Lowenstein, S.F., Bloch, N.E., Campion, J., Epstein, J.S., Gale, P. & Salvatore, M. 1981. A study of satisfactions and stresses of single women in midlife. Sex Roles, 7(11), 1127-1141.
  39. Lyons-Lee, L. T. 1998. The ‘Graduate Women’ phenomenon: Changing constructions of the family in Singapore. Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 13(2), 1-19.
  40. Maeda, E. 2008. Relational identities of always-single Japanese women. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 25(6), 967-987.
  41. Marks, N.F. 1996. Flying solo at midlife: Gender, marital status, and psychological well-being. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 58(4), 917.
  42. Moon, S.M., Dillon, D.R., & Sprenkle, D.H. 1990. Family therapy and qualitative research. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 16(4), 357-373.
  43. Morris, W.L., DePaulo, B.M., Hertel, J., Taylor, L.C. 2008 Singlism-Another problem that has no name: Prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination against singles. In, M.A. Morrison, Morrison, T.G. (Ed.), The Psychology of Modern Prejudice (pp.165-194). Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science.
  44. Nemoto, K. 2008. Postponed marriage: Exploring women’s views of matrimony and work in Japan. Gender and Society, 22(2), 219-237.
  45. O’Brien, M. 1991. Never married older women: The life experience. Social Indicators Research, 24(3), 301-315.
  46. Omar, R. & Hamzah, A. (Eds.) 2003. Women in Malaysia: Breaking boundaries. Selangor: Utusan Publications.
  47. Price WaterhouseCoopers. 2006. “2004/2005 Global retail & consumer study from Beijing To Budapest”, Malaysia, pp. 95-105, Retrieved October 13, 2007, from www.pwc.com/gx/eng/about/ind/retail/growth/malaysia.pdf
  48. Quah, S.R. 2003. Major trends affecting families in East and Southeast Asia (Vol. Final Report): Final Report submitted to Family Division for Social Policy and Development Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, New York.
  49. Reynolds, J. & Wetherell, M. 2003. The discursive climate of singleness: The consequences of women’s negotiation of a single identity. Feminism & Psychology, 13(4), 489-510.
  50. Sandfield, A. & Percy, C. 2003. Accounting for single status: Heterosexism and ageism in heterosexual women’s talk about marriage. Feminism and Psychology, 13(4), 475-488.
  51. Sharp, E.A. & Ganong, L. 2011. “I’m a loser, I’m not married, let’s just all look at me”: Ever- single women’s perceptions of their social environment. Journal of Family Issues, 32(7), 956-980.
  52. Simpson, R. 2003. Contemporary spinster in the new millennium: Changing notions of family and kinship. New Working Paper Series. (10).
  53. Situmorang, A. 2007. Staying single in a married world. Asian Population Studies, 3(3), 287-304.
  54. Smith, J.A. 1994. Towards reflexive practice: Engaging participants as co- researchers or co-analysts in psychological inquiry. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology, 4, 253-260.
  55. Smith, J.A. 1996. Beyond the divide between cognition and discourse: Using interpretative phenomenological analysis in health psychology. Psychology & Health, 11(2), 261.
  56. Smith, J.A., Jarman, M. & Osborn, M. 1999 Doing interpretative phenomenological analysis. In, M.Murray & K. Chamberlain (Eds.), Qualitative health psychology: Theories and methods (pp. 218-241). London: Sage Publications.
  57. Smith, J.A. & Osborn, M. 2003. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. In J. A. Smith (Ed.), Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods (Vol. 1, pp. 51-80). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
  58. Talbani, A. & Hasanali, P. 2000. Adolescent females between tradition and modernity: Gender role socialization in South Asian immigrant culture. Journal of Adolescence, 23(5), 615-627.
  59. Tajfel, H. 1982. Social identity and intergroup relations. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
  60. Tajfel, H. & Turner, J.C. 1979. An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In, W.G. Austin and S. Worchel (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 33-47). Monterey, California, Brookes/Cole.
  61. Tan, J.E. 2002. Living arrangements of never-married Thai women in a time of rapid social change. SOJOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 17(1), 24-51.
  62. Tey, N.P. 2007. Trends in delayed and non-marriage in Peninsular Malaysia. Asian Population Studies, 3(3).
  63. Thornton, A., Axinn, W.G. & Hill, D.H. 1992. Reciprocal effects of religiosity, cohabitation, and marriage. The American Journal of Sociology, 98(3), 628.
  64. Waite, L. & Gallagher, M. 2000. The case for marriage: Why married people are happier, healthier, and better off financially. New York: Broadway Books.
  65. Williams, L., Guest, P. & Varangrat, A. 2006. Early 40s and still unmarried: A continuing trend in Thailand. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 47(2), 83-116.
  66. Wilson, R. 2004. Singular mistreatment: Unmarried professors are outsiders in the Ozzie and Harriet world of academe. Chronicle of Higher Education, 50(33).
  67. Yang, S. & Rosenblatt, P.C. 2001. Shame in South Korean families. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 32, 361-375.

 

 

 
 

Copyright © 2021 Sarawak Museum Department
Last Updated On 27 Mar 2025

Operating Hours (Main Office)

Monday - Thursday
8.00am to 1.00pm & 2.00pm to 5.00pm

Friday
8.00am to 11.45pm & 2.00pm to 5.00pm

Saturday, Sunday, Public Holiday
Counter Closed
SARAWAK MUSEUM DEPARTMENT
JALAN P RAMLEE
93400, KUCHING, SARAWAK

TEL: +6082-548181 (Main Office)
TEL: +6082-548215 (Borneo Cultures Museum)
FAX: +082-548282
EMAIL : museum@sarawak.gov.my
image image
Open Data Privacy Policy Complaints and Feedbacks Copyright Notice Disclaimer Sitemap
image Calendar
image Polls
image Announcement
Facebook
Youtube