Low Fertility and its Societal Impact

This assignment requires a critical analysis of the societal consequences stemming from low fertility rates. The task involves designing and implementing both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods to investigate the multifaceted impact of declining birth rates. Challenges include managing diverse data types, ensuring reliability and validity in analyses, and working with a relatively small sample size for the quantitative research. The aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the social implications of low fertility through rigorous data analysis and insightful interpretation.

Running head: SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Social Science Research Methods
Student’s name:
Name of the university:
Author’s note:

1SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Table of Contents
A) Introduction................................................................................................................................2
i) Selection of topic......................................................................................................................2
ii) Theoretical and conceptual background of research...............................................................2
iii) Research objectives................................................................................................................4
iv) Research Questions................................................................................................................4
B) Qualitative Research Design.......................................................................................................5
i) Research sites and informants..................................................................................................5
ii) Data collection process and strategies.....................................................................................6
iv) Data analysis techniques........................................................................................................7
C) Quantitative Research Design.....................................................................................................7
Empirical research question.........................................................................................................7
Hypothesis...................................................................................................................................7
i) Research design........................................................................................................................8
ii) Sampling.................................................................................................................................9
iii) Measurement........................................................................................................................10
D) Concluding remarks..................................................................................................................11
i) Anticipated findings...............................................................................................................11
ii) Potential limitations..............................................................................................................12

2SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Reference List................................................................................................................................13

3SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
A) Introduction
i) Selection of topic
In recent time, the number of birth per woman in Singapore has declined from 5.8 to 1.2.
The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has been decreasing since 1988 and the last year was the lowest
point. The topic of this study has been selected as the explanatory factors behind the declining
TFR in order to formulate policies and programmes to raise Singapore's TFR.
ii) Theoretical and conceptual background of research
Causes of low fertility rate in Singapore:
It has been noticed that Singapore has been experiencing a lower rate of growth in
population mainly the reason behind this low birth rate. The causes of lower birth rate are
various:
In recent economic condition, the people are marrying in later life and they are having a
child in the later stage of their lives. The reasons behind this probably the women are now
focusing more on career and they are now receiving degrees. Women cannot have babies in the
later age of their lives as the biological issues. Moreover, in Singapore, people love to stay single
and there are fewer families. Hence, the birth rate has been falling, as a result of this, young
people in the Singapore population decreases. Women are no willing to settle down early in life
and they prefer more income and educational status. In recent time, the habit of smaller families
has been the preferences for the young couple and the reason behind this is the increasing
number of working women in Singapore. As stated by Cheung (2010), women find it difficult to
maintain the work-life balance, hence they choose fewer children.

4SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Age Group (women in
Singapore)
Year 2000 Year 2010
25-29 46% 62%
30-34 22% 31%
35-39 16% 20%
Table 1: Singlehood Indicators of Women
(Source: Straughan, 2013)
Moreover, the cost of living is increasing in Singapore; therefore, the responsibility to
raise a child is getting optional for a married couple. Housing price and land value are increasing
in Singapore that makes costly to have family and children for a couple. The Recent lifestyle of
the working women who do not follow healthy lifestyle and tend to smoke and alcoholic in early
life faces issue in the rear and giving birth to children. In nowadays, birth control is easy for a
woman and economic affluence is needed. Such values and trends have led to some couple to
have no children at all.
Consequences of low fertility rate in Singapore
It has been observed that dual-income in the family is increasing and pricey city-state
with lack of time for the family lead to the lower fertility rate for the women. The Singapore
government provides four months of maternity leaves and the government provides the second
week of paternity leave as well. Not only in Singapore but also other parts of Asian countries
also face this, Japan and South Korea are major examples of this. Medical care and retirement
incomes are largely financed by the taxes of young people in rich countries like Singapore. Low
rates of birth can lead to fewer women and men of young working ages, therefore a small tax

5SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
base will be formed to finance social security (Straughan, 2013). Moreover, lower fertility rate
can decrease the rate of scientific experiments and innovations as the innovation comes up from
the brain of young people. The young population are more adaptable and in starting a new
business, it requires a more young generation. In the workplace, the number of young generation
will be shrinking and this may result that each of the young population needs to pay more taxes
in order to increase fund in projects (Jones, 2007).
Managing falling birth rate in Singapore
Singapore Government is trying to encourage the people to get married and have
children. In Singapore, the Government is paying $18,000 for the couple who are having five or
more children (Nargund, 2009). Government is trying to provide an extra rebate in taxes for
those women who have children in their young ages. Government is planning to set up new child
care centres in order to look after newborn babies while the parents will be at work. Singapore
Urban Redevelopment authority put a limit on selling the single-bedroom flat in order to put a
curb on singlehood. Moreover, the women need to make a healthy lifestyle and raising awareness
in family and community can help to manage the situation. An open and regular discussion on
community and in media is needed to manage the alarming situation. Government funding is
necessary and women’s perception in this scenario is vital.
iii) Research objectives
 To identify the reasons behind low Total Fertility Rate in Singapore
 To explore the consequences of low Total Fertility Rate in Singapore
 To recognise the generalise factors to manage a low rate of population growth in
Singapore

6SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
 To formulate policies and programmes to raise Singapore's Total Fertility Rate
iv) Research Questions
Research questions are:
 What are the explanatory factors behind low Total Fertility Rate in Singapore?
 What are the consequences of low Total Fertility Rate in Singapore?
 What are the factors to manage a low rate of population growth in Singapore?
 What would be the policies and programmes in order to raise Singapore’s low Total
Fertility Rate?
B) Qualitative Research Design
Qualitative research design is based on mainly social constructivism perspective. In
qualitative research, the research questions are based on research problems (Clemence, Doise &
Lorenzi-Cioldi, 2014). The benefits of the qualitative research design are that it can be done with
small sample size. The data collection procedure can be done through observational and through
the interview. Interpretation of the data can be done through a combination of the perspective of
the researcher and collected data. In this research, I would be doing the research through
qualitative research design and the main focus of qualitative research would be an inference
based on respondents' perspectives. I would spend times of preparing research questions and
these would be designed to collect participants' perspectives of opinions, data and experiences.
i) Research sites and informants
I would do field research in order to collect the data for qualitative research. The field
research site can be defined as a socially defined sphere that has fluid physical boundaries. In
order to select a research site, some of the important factors are unfamiliarity, suitability and

7SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
complexity (Eisenhardt, Graebner & Sonenshein, 2014). The research site can encompass
various social activities and relations that can stimulate data. Moreover, in this research, I will
choose an unfamiliar site that would allow me to discern cultural events along with societal
relations. I will also consider some factors like physical access and personal characteristics in
this site. I will choose a fertility centre in Singapore, Scotts Road, Virtus Fertility Centre. In this
fertility centre, I would like to research about reasons behind low Total Fertility Rate. In a
fertility centre, I may have some new perspectives of the low birth rate in Singapore from
doctors and from some visitors. In addition, I have a deal with a gatekeeper who has the official
role to control the access of field research site. I would take a consent letter from the managerial
body of this fertility clinic and negotiate the gatekeeper in order to conduct the qualitative
research. Moreover, my role in the research would be two types, role of a field researcher and a
social within the site. In the research site, I would like to adjust and adapt that would help me to
monitor and behaviour and attitudes of the informants.
In order to conduct the research, I would like to make some close relationships with some
informants who can inform me on the field site. I will be interviewing some contrasting types of
informants in order to collect the data. I will be interviewing 4 physicians in this clinic about the
reasons and consequences of low Total Fertility Rate. Physicians have immense knowledge
about fertility and the recent trend of women in having children. Physicians can provide various
viewpoints and interesting yet conflicting knowledge. In this research, I will choose physicians
as informants who are totally familiar with the ideas of Total Fertility Rate and the chosen
physicians will not be a novice, however, they will have intimate experiences in the research site
characterises.

8SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
ii) Data collection process and strategies
I would choose to this research, phenomenological qualitative research design as this
particular research refers to an experience towards an understanding of the research. The
phenomenological study is the combination of research method, documents understanding and
interviewing with visiting the sites (Flick, 2015). The participants’ are examined in this research
and phenomenological study needs to develop in conducting a lot of interviews. In order to
collect the data for this study, I will conduct in-depth interviews to four physicians. I will prepare
8 open-ended questions about reasons of low Total Fertility Rate and its impact on the nation and
population. The questions will be mainly structural and the questions will cover activities, issues,
relations of fertility rate. These interviews will be face-to-face and I would show interest in
responses of the informants and encourage them to elaborate their responses. I would like to
inform them about the interviews and ask them to take out sometimes. The interviews will be a
conversation and the informants will provide their description. The in-depth interview will be
happening one-to-one basis and members can share their feelings, experiences and insights.
iv) Data analysis techniques
Data analysis technique in qualitative research will be thematic analysis as I will try to
break the data as codes based on inferential and descriptive. Coding and concept formation are
the method through which the researcher systematically conceptualises the data into categories
that are based on the abstract derived from the data (Mackey & Gass, 2015). I will segregate the
data findings from both literatures and from the interviews and scatter them as codes. This
themes or codes can be developed from new concepts and examine the relationship among the
codes. I will mainly use open coding in the preliminary categories in order to recognise data

9SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
pattern. I will pen down some of the basic coding words from the interviews and open coding
may extend to the analytic notes.
C) Quantitative Research Design
Empirical research question
What are the reasons and consequences of low Total Fertility Rate in Singapore?
Hypothesis 1
H0: Low Total Fertility Rate can impact on Singapore Economy in near future
H1: Low Total Fertility Rate cannot impact on Singapore Economy in near future
Hypothesis 2
H0: High cost of living influences on falling birth rates
H1: High cost of living does not influence on falling birth rate
Hypothesis 3
H0: Women’s consent is final in giving birth of child in Singapore
H1: Women’s consent is not final in giving birth of child in Singapore
i) Research design
Quantitative method emphasises mostly on objective measurements and numerical
analysis can be done in quantitative research design. Quantitative research mainly focuses on
collecting numerical data. Moreover, I would mainly follow the descriptive type study as
descriptive study mainly aims at observations. Moreover, as stated by Neuman & Robson (2014),
the descriptive study can establish relations between variables. In this quantitative analysis, I will

10SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
collect the numerical data from the respondents conducting the valid survey. In order to conduct
the survey, I will prepare 15 close-ended multiple choice type questions. Therefore, the
instrument of quantitative research design is a questionnaire. This questionnaire will contain two
types of questions, first, one will be based on a demographic understanding of the respondents
and the second one will be based on the subjective questions of low birth rating in Singapore.
This questionnaire will be emailed to the respondents. The respondents need to respond to all 15
questions. The respondents will be given 15 days in order to provide their responses.
Quantitative research usually collects data from the large sample and these people are the
representative of the population. Moreover, the same questionnaire will be provided to all
respondents; however, the chance of repeatability is high. In collecting the data, I will collect the
data from the Singapore women who are aged between 22 and 32. Moreover, the problem in this
research study is the low birth rate in Singapore and the young women can give the answer
correctly. I have to study the community in order to target the women of this age. In Singapore,
more than 71% women are over 25 years of age and women comprise 59% of the labour force.
However, it would not be possible for me to study to a lot of women situated in the Singapore. I
will provide a notice on social media community page (Facebook) about my survey. Interested
women will provide their feedback on my survey topic. I will ask them about the emails after
showing my consent letter of the university. I will email them my survey questionnaire and ask
them to fulfil all the requirements with their names if they want to. It is not possible for me to
focus on specific part of Singapore as I may lose some valid points about the low birth rate in
Singapore. In this study, the independent variables are TFR and high cost of living and women
consent. These independent variables will be linked up with the dependent variables. As stated
by Palinkas et al. (2015), quantitative research design is helpful for a study to gather the

11SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
knowledge on generalising concept and the researcher can use the tools like computer software
and a statistical tool to analyse the data.
I am going to use SPSS, a statistical analysis in order to analyse the data collected from the
survey. The findings of the study will be presented in tables and excel-bar graphs. The findings
of the study will be reviewed by using literature review findings.
ii) Sampling
The population of the study is the women between 22 and 32 ages in Singapore.
However, the sampling will be larger for this study as almost 75% of women in Singapore are
above 25 years of age. In order to simplify the study, the researcher will reach the sample
through Facebook community page. It is not possible for me to reach this large number of
population and Facebook will help me to reach such population. I will aim to collect the
responses at least from 150 women from Singapore. Therefore, the chosen sample will be 150
(N= 150). This sample will help me to collect the data about the reasons and consequences of
low birth rate in Singapore. I will be selecting the sample through simple random sampling
technique. Simple random sampling helps the researcher to use a subset of the statistical
population through which each of the members of the subset has an equal probability of being
selected (Silverman, 2016). There are numerous women who belong to the age from 22 to 32;
however, I will choose the sampling through simple random sampling. One criterion of the
respondent will be that the respondent has to answer all 15 questions.
Population Sample Size Criterion Sampling
technique
Sample Frame
Singapore women
aged between 22
150 Must provide all Simple random Facebook
Community page,

12SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
and 32 15 responses sampling Through e-mail
Table 2: Sampling in Quantitative Research design
(Source: Self-develop)
iii) Measurement
Measurement of variables can be done through the Nominal and Ordinal sale of
measurement. The nominal level of measurement is a classification that can describe the nature
of data within the values assigned to variables (Panneleselvam, 2014). I will take nominal
reliability technique that will help me to differentiate the data between subjects and items.
Examples of nominal classification can be a genre, gender, style and biological species. I will
also take the ordinal scale that would allow me to take ordinal data with a rank order. I will sort
the data by relevance in order, 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Moreover, mean and median values of the data
need to take into account in order to allow the measurement of central tendency. As stated by
Smith (2015), the nominal level of measurement is discrete categories, whereas, the ordinal scale
can be made rank in order. Reliability can be improved through defining and constructing the
measure clearly. Moreover, I am going to use two measures that would help me to capture much
construct. Multiple measures are more stable than one measure of reliability.
I am going to use pilot testing of my study in order to ensure the reliability of the subject
and questionnaire. As opined by Taylor, Bogdan & DeVault (2015), pilot testing is a small-scale
trial. I will send 5 subjective close-ended questions to 15 women who are interested in opening
their views. From the pilot testing, I will understand what kind of issues that the women would
face in providing their reviews. I will change the frame and wording of the questions if needed.

13SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Invalidity of the research, I will use content validity. According to Neuman (2014),
content validity refers to measure all aspects of definition that construct's definition. Using
multiple measures in reliability can also improve the content validity. Combining multiple
measures can help the researcher in capturing the definition of the construct as this is more
holistic and constructive.
D) Concluding remarks
i) Anticipated findings
This study will focus on low Total Fertility Rate and this study would highlight the
procreation pattern and transform marriage of the women in Singapore. My approach of the
study will be sociological as well as structural-environmental approach. I will identify the macro
factors of low Total Fertility Rate and its consequences of this. I assume that qualitative research
data will bring out the significance of low Total Fertility Rate in Singapore. They can bring out
the reasons behind the low birth rate among women. The main reasons can be a different
lifestyle, lack of responsibility and easy access to birth control facility. Moreover, the study can
bring out the women's perspectives in low birth rate as quantitative analysis will highlight on
reasons of women not giving birth to a child. The career-centric women and the independent
women are not interested in bearing children. The doctors in the qualitative research design will
highlight the consequences of the low birth rate in Singapore. This study would bring out the
influence factors that impact on women, paid work and formal education, determinants of
policies and time allocation of women in family matters. This study will bring out the changes in
the social environment that have come from capitalist enterprises. Economic driven factors are
important as the women try to establish as valued employees rather than giving birth to a child in

14SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
the house. For a woman, each hour spent away from the work means the potential loss of a
woman. In the Singapore context, over parenting and overwork are not issues, however, small
geographic expanse can be another issue with dominant ideologies. Singapore government can
start pro-nationalist policies in order to entice the individuals to get married and have a child.
ii) Potential limitations
Limitations of the study can be the time constant as I hardly have time to put in order to
carry out such vast topic. Another limitation can be budgetary constant as I do not have enough
budget to carry out such topic. In this scenario, I have to manage two types of data collection and
I have to analyse both types of data with reliability and validity. Handling a large amount of data
will be another issue for me. Moreover, I am going to choose only 150 sample for the
quantitative research, this sample is quite small. If I would have enough time, I could have
chosen large sampling. That would help me to have an exact result for this topic.

15SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Reference List
Cheung, P. P. (2010). Micro-consequences of low fertility in Singapore. Asia-Pacific Population
Journal, 5(4), 35-46.
Clemence, A., Doise, W. & Lorenzi-Cioldi, F., (2014). The quantitative analysis of social
representations. Abingdon: Routledge.
Eisenhardt, K.M., Graebner, M.E. & Sonenshein, S., (2016). Grand challenges and inductive
methods: Rigor without rigour mortis. Academy of Management Journal, 59(4), 1113-
1123.
Flick, U., (2015). Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research
project. London: Sage.
Jones, G. W. (2007). Delayed marriage and very low fertility in Pacific Asia. Population and
Development Review, 33(3), 453-478.
Knobe, J. and Nichols, S. eds., (2013). Experimental philosophy (Vol. 2). Oxford University
Press.
Mackey, A. and Gass, S.M., (2015). Second language research: Methodology and design.
Abingdon: Routledge.
Nargund, G. (2009). Declining birth rate in Developed Countries: A radical policy re-think is
required. Facts, views & vision in ObGyn, 1(3), 191-193
Neuman, W. L. (2014). Social Research Methods: Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches, 7th
Edition. Pearson Education Limited: UK.

16SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH METHODS
Neuman, W.L. and Robson, K., (2014). Basics of social research. Vancouver: Pearson Canada.
Palinkas, L.A., Horwitz, S.M., Green, C.A., Wisdom, J.P., Duan, N. & Hoagwood, K., (2015).
Purposeful sampling for qualitative data collection and analysis in mixed method
implementation research. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health
Services Research, 42(5), 533-544.
Panneerselvam, R., (2014). Research methodology. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd..
Silverman, D. ed., (2016). Qualitative research. London: Sage.
Smith, J.A. ed., (2015). Qualitative psychology: A practical guide to research methods. London:
Sage.
Straughan, P. T. (2013). Delayed Marriage and Ultra Low Fertility in Singapore-The
Confounding Challenges to Social Stability. CSC-IPS The Population Conundrum-
Roundtable on Singapore’s Demographic Challenges, 3, 1-20
Taylor, S.J., Bogdan, R. & DeVault, M., (2015). Introduction to qualitative research methods: A
guidebook and resource. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons.