The topic on cohabitation has always interested me. It is not that I am an advocate of cohabitation. I am just curious in finding out how Singaporeans feel about the idea of living together without martial status. Even though cohabitation is not a very new topic, it still seems to be a taboo subject amongst conservative Singaporeans. We always claim that we are a modern and open society. But the question is, are we open enough to accept cohabitation?

Cohabitation is when people live together in an emotionally- and/or physically-intimate relationship. The term is most frequently applied to couples who are not married. According to a recent survey conducted, there is an increasing number of Singaporean couples who prefer to cohabit. Some of the reasons are that they would not be legally tied down and in any case, should their relationship sour, they would not incur any legal costs that are often associated with a divorce.

To many of our parents, even some of our friends today, the idea of cohabitating without marital status is a big “NO NO”. Of course, we all know what their concerns are. But, if that is the case, why do people especially the younger generation still choose to cohabit? Or why do some strongly resist the idea of cohabitation?

In Singapore, we have a variety of races and cultures. Every culture has its own set of values that they adhere to. Therefore, I would like to use this opportunity to find out how the different cultural groups in Singapore respond to cohabitation. At the same time, to investigate which cultural group is more acceptable to embrace the idea of staying together without martial status.


In order to research more on this topic, there is a need for us to conduct an attitudinal survey on the opinions of cohabitation from our four major racial groups in Singapore. The reason is that the objective of the research is to find out how our younger generation of Singaporeans feel and think. Therefore, my target group will be NUS students as this pool of students have the criteria (different racial groups) and elements (aged from18 to 25) needed for the research.