Voon Chin Phua

Men Planning for Retirement Changing Meanings of Preretirement Planning

Using data from 69 in-depth interviews, the authors examine how men define financial planning and preretirement planning. The analyses show that younger men are less likely than older men to actively plan for retirement, and a clearer distinction is made between financial planning and preretirement planning. The results also show that the meanings of the two phrases overlap as one ages and that financial habits change over the life course. Understanding the changes over the life course would ensure that successful programs aim at securing financial security at older ages.

Filial Piety and Intergenerational Co-residence: The Case of Chinese Singaporeans

The concept of filial piety is not static and is subject to interpretations. The concept of filial piety also has evolved over time and adapted to local cultures. In this paper, we examine the practices of filial piety among Chinese Singaporeans. Using in-depth interviews collected in 2006 and 2007, we find that the idea of filial piety still resonates among Chinese Singaporeans, though in some cases it may merely be symbolic. While intergenerational co-residence is not the only way for children to demonstrate their filial piety, most participants view it as the epitome. However, filial piety, as demonstrated through intergenerational co-residence, may be hiding other issues that are detrimental to the quality of life for all parties. Nonetheless, positive intergenerational relationships bind the family together.

Differences in Romanian Men's Online Personals by Sexualities

As Internet usage increases, its ability to provide almost instant connections and to pre-screen potential partners has made it a popular source for meeting people. To contribute to current literature, we examine differences in content between 187 men seeking men and 193 men seeking women in a sample of Romanian (Bucharest) personals in 2007. Results show that men seeking women provide more information about themselves than men seeking men. While the results also show that some Romanian men are more open about expressing their sexualities than others, there are still many obstacles affecting how men choose to share and express their sexualities in Romania.

Grandparenting Responsibility Among Elderly Asian Americans

ABSTRACT This study examines whether Asian American grandparents who reside with grandchildren take on responsibility for most of the basic needs of their grandchildren. We use data from the 2000 U.S. Census, which asked about grandparent responsibility for the first time. Younger grandparents, grandparents without disabilities, and grandmothers are more likely to be responsible for their grandchildren. Those who immigrated at age 65 or older are less likely than native grandparents to be responsible for their grandchildren, and Asian Indians are less likely than Japanese grandparents to take on this responsibility. Householders are much more likely than non-householders to be responsible for their grandchildren, but there are not many distinctions to be made among householders since there is a generally high degree of involvement among these grandparents. Future studies should look more closely at grandparents who are not householders.

Negotiating Sex and Sexualities: The Use of Sexual Tags in the Brazilian Sex Trade Workplace

Based on data from participant observation and interviews with Brazilian sex workers and their clients, I examined the intersections of sexual and gender identities with sexual behaviors. Specifically, I was interested in how sex workers managed and negotiated their sexualities in the workplace. First, I described the layout and the social actors at a popular termas in a major Brazilian city. Then, I examined the interactions in the termas and how Brazilian sex workers use sexual identity terms to describe themselves. I argued that the use of these terms do not necessarily indicate sex workers’ adoption of that sexual identity. Critical to them are the symbolic presentation of gender identity and the presentation of self at the work place. I developed a theoretical construct, sexual tags, which contributes to the literature by suggesting that sexual identity is situational and, more importantly, that the terms may not mean as much to the individuals or to be consistent with our understanding of what they ought to imply, especially when individuals are importing western terms to relate to their foreign clients. While using sexual tags does not preclude sex workers from eventually adopting that identity, it could also mean that some sex workers are claiming a sexual identity simply for strategic purposes. Another possible scenario is that sexual tags reflect the diverse interpretations of sexuality because of the available choices created by the situational manipulation of sexual meanings within a local context.

Perceiving Airbnb as sharing economy: the issue of trust in using Airbnb

Airbnb is a growing business and has received much research attention. However, no research has specifically examined complaints against Airbnb. Understanding complaints serves not as a way to help improve services but provides an insight into guests’ perception of the Airbnb. I examined 664 reviews on sitejabber.com to study the common complaints and whether they are related to the perception that Airbnb is sharing economy. Using a grounded theory approach, I performed a content analysis of complaints. Besides customer service and technology challenges, one major complaint against Airbnb is their faded trust through their experiences.