The sandwich generation : role balancing and self-identity for women

Abstract

Current demographic trends reveal that Singapore is one of the fastest ageing population in Asia. Accompanied by low fertility rates, the burden of supporting the old is increasingly placed in the hands of the working class. In particular, women from the sandwich generation who have both dependent children and elderly parents to take care of while working, are bound to experience the greatest repercussions. As such, this paper attempts to answer three questions: (1) What are the strategies Singaporean women from the sandwich generation use to manage three roles concurrently? (2) Is it possible for these women to achieve role balance? (3) How do these women construct their identities? In-depth interviews were conducted with 10 middle aged Chinese women to study the above phenomenon.