Thank God, I've finally found the one : dating culture of Christian young adults in Singapore

Abstract

This paper seeks to study the impact of religious institutions and its influence in the social lives of Christians, specifically the Protestant Church and the culture of dating among Christian young adults in Singapore. We aim to offer another perspective towards understanding trends pertaining to late marriages and singlehood, taking into consideration the influential role of religion and the family in an adolescent’s developmental years (Benson et al. 1989). Based on in-depth interviews conducted with 15 respondents, the study applies the interpretative approach by Geertz (1973) and cultural analysis approach by Swidler (1986) to provide an explorative study situated in multicultural Singapore. Through this study, insights were found regarding the dating culture, specifically, the various guidelines provided by the church that shapes their decision-making and dating experience.