The negotiation of gender by modern evangelical women in Singapore.

Abstract

Despite the predictions of the secularization paradigm, religious affiliations have been on the rise. In Singapore, Christianity has been seen as a popular choice amongst the educated middle-income population despite the elements of gender inequality. I examine the negotiation of gender by the evangelical women in their households, given their empowerment through participation in workforce and education. Based on 16 in-depth interviews with interviewees chosen from an evangelical church in Singapore, it is found that the everyday practices of religion proved to be more egalitarian, but husband headship is still uphold as the ideal household structure. Also, it is found that these evangelicals relate more to their identity as Christians than to their workforce identity. Therefore, in their negotiation of identity in the secular world, they retain evangelical ideals of evangelism.