A comparative study of decision-making and household division of labour with and without the presence of the foreign domestic helper in Singaporean homes.

Abstract

Based on 10 interviews conducted with 2 working couples who hire domestic helper and another 3 without domestic helper in Singapore, this article examines the power dynamics between married couples in Singapore by exploring how the presence of domestic helpers influences the traditional division of labour at homes between husbands and wives. It is predicted that domestic helpers do not have any impact on the current arrangement of housework despite the government’s effort to present ‘work-life’ balance for married couples by providing more domestic help. This study seeks to prove this hypothesis through qualitative analysis. This article also examines whether “husband-dominant” decision-making still prevails in today’s society, by comparing and understanding how familial decisions are made between married couples.