Singapore is a ‘strong’ developmental state that exercises ideological leadership over economy and society, and offers widespread, highly subsidised provision of public services, including education. However, while such logics invite dependence on the ‘strong’ state, at the heart of Singaporean public policy is the anti-welfarist, self-responsibilising, meritocratic ethos.

Drawing on her new book, 'Families, the State and Educational Inequality in the Singapore City-State', Charleen Chiong explores how socio-economically disadvantaged families negotiate relations of dependency and responsibility with the state and schools, in seeking future success.

Charleen Chiong

Charleen Chiong adopts sociological approaches to understanding inequality and social policy problems. In line with her interests in integrating research, policy and practice, Charleen has undertaken research in academic, think-tank and public sector contexts. Her research has been published in journals such as Journal of Education Policy, Comparative Education and Families, Relationships and Societies. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Cambridge, and a Master of Science in Comparative and International Education from the University of Oxford.