Niki Leong Huan Chie

Ancestor Worship in Singapore: Intergenerational Narratives of Chinese Women Niki Leong Huan Chie

It is not uncommon to find the Chinese performing traditional customs and rites despite the rapid transformation Singapore society experienced in recent years. Today, daughters are becoming as valued as sons and the patriarchal power structure of the ¿traditional¿ Chinese family is beginning to be challenged. But despite the belief among the Chinese that religion is considered to be women¿s business, it is also widely accepted that women are not allowed a tablet of either parent and are to worship the tablet belonging to their husband¿s family after marriage. This book will show that this tradition is but a normative position; the given notions are not absolutely binding and women do negotiate their responsibilities. It offers a glimpse of how the unique biographies, environments and the traditional values three generations of women were exposed to and socialized into accepting shaped their experiences and attitudes towards ancestor worship. This analysis should be useful to anyone who is interested to learn more about ancestor worship in contemporary Singapore, and to those who wish to hear more about the narratives of the main practitioner herself ¿ her story.