PERSONAL PARTICULARS
Dr Sharon Ee Ling QUAH
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy in Arts (Sociology) The University of Sydney
Master of Social Sciences (Applied Sociology) National University of Singapore
Bachelor of Arts (Chinese Studies and Chinese Language) National University of Singapore
SHORT BIOGRAPHY
Dr Sharon Ee Ling Quah has commenced her appointment as a Research Fellow with the
Changing Family in Asia cluster with effect from 1 January 2015. Prior to this appointment, she
was a postdoctoral fellow with the same research cluster at NUS ARI from June 2013 –
December 2014.
Dr Quah’s first sole-authored monograph, Perspectives on Marital Dissolution: Divorce
Biographies in Singapore, has recently been published in 2015 by Springer. She is also
conducting an exploratory study on Singaporean divorcees from transnational marriages as the
Principal Investigator with a research grant awarded by the Ministry of Social and Family
Development (Singapore Government).
Dr Quah received her PhD from The University of Sydney in April 2013. In addition to her PhD,
she graduated with Master of Social Science (Applied Sociology) in 2002 and Bachelor of Arts
(Chinese Studies and Chinese Language) in 1998 from National University of Singapore.
Her research interests include divorce and family in Singapore and Australia, transnational and
alternative intimacies, individualisation, personal life and communities, and gender.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
External:
Ministry of Social and Family Development (Singapore Government), Family Research Fund,
‘An exploratory study on Singaporean divorcees from transnational marriages’, Principal
Investigator, SGD77,502, 2014-2016
Sydney Southeast Asia Centre, University of Sydney, SSEAC Sabbatical Visitor’s Fund 2015,
AUD4,000
Internal:
NUS ARI Research grant for research project, ‘A cross-national comparison study on postdivorce support in Australia and Singapore’, Principal Investigator, SGD3,500, 2014
NUS ARI Annual conference funding, ‘Reconfiguring personal communities in a divorce
biography’ at XVIII ISA World Congress of Sociology conference 2014, SGD3,000
NUS ARI Annual conference funding, ‘Pursuing self-fufilment in a divorce biography’ at The
Australian Sociological Association conference 2013, SGD2,500
University of Sydney Postgraduate Research Support Scheme, 2010-2011, AUD4,000
Conference scholarship awarded by Asian Studies Association of Australia 18th Biennial
Conference 2010, AUD1,000
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PUBLICATIONS
Sole-authored Book
Quah, S.E.L. 2015. Perspectives in Marital Dissolution: Divorce Biographies in Singapore.
Springer.
Refereed Articles
Quah, S.E.L. 2014. Negotiating post-divorce familial relationships: A case of Singapore divorce
biographies. ARI Working paper series no. 226. Singapore: National University of Singapore,
Asia Research Institute.
Quah, S.E.L. 2013. ‘Divorce in Singapore’ in Cultural sociology of divorce: An encyclopedia,
edited by Robert E. Emery. SAGE Publications.
Quah, S.E.L. 2013. ‘Pursuing self-fufilment in a divorce biography’ in Reflections, Intersections
and Aspirations, The Australian Sociological Association Refereed Conference Proceedings, 25
– 28 November 2013, Monash University, Australia.
Quah, S.E.L. 2011. ‘Between communitarianism and individualisation: a discussion on
Singaporean family life’ in Local Lives/Global Networks, The Australian Sociological Association
Refereed Conference Proceedings, 29 November – 1 December 2011, University of Newcastle,
Australia.
Quah, S.E.L. 2010. ‘Choice and Connectedness: explaining divorcees’ experiences through
kinship and self’ in Social Causes, Private Lives, The Australian Sociological Association
Refereed Conference Proceedings, 6-9 December 2010, Macquarie University, Australia.
Quah, S.E.L. 2010. ‘“Can't do without friends” - a study of the empowering experience of
divorcees through friendship and self’ in Crises and Opportunities: Past, Present and Future,
Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) 18th Biennial Conference 2010 Refereed
Conference Proceedings, 5-8 July 2010, University of Adelaide, Australia.
PROFESSIONAL & TEACHING EXPERIENCE
January 2015 – present
Research Fellow, National University of Singapore, Asia Research Institute
June 2013 – December 2014
Postdoctoral Fellow, National University of Singapore, Asia Research Institute
March 2009 – December 2012
Sessional Lecturer and Tutor, Department of Sociology, The University of Sydney
 Course Coordinator, lecturer and tutor of Winter School 2012 Contemporary Cultural
Issues (Year 2), Winter School 2011 Introduction to Sociology 2 (Year 1), Winter School
2010 Introduction to Sociology 2 (Year 1)
 Tutor of Introduction to Sociology 1 (Year 1), Introduction to Sociology 2 (Year 1), Health
Determinants and Intervention (Year 1), Global Culture and Society (Year 1), Sociological
Theory (Year 2), Contemporary Cultural Issues (Year 2) subjects
July 2005 – April 2008
Lecturer and Academic Manager, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Ngee Ann Polytechnic
 Academic manager of 25 Level 2 modules
 Courses coordinated and taught: Social Psychology, Individual and the Community,
World Issues: A Singapore’s Perspectives, Communication Toolkit, Insights Into China
(conducted in Chinese), Service-Learning in Indonesia (overseas module), ServiceLearning in Thailand (overseas module), Innovation & Enterprise
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January 2004 – June 2005
Teacher, Bina Bangsa School (Jakarta, Indonesia)
August 2002 – December 2003
Executive, Community Partnerships, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre
June 1998 – January 2001
Senior Uniformed Rehabilitation Officer, Singapore Prison Service
INVITED ADDRESS
Quah, S.E.L. 2014. ‘”The whole village must help”: Exploring the effectiveness of social support
for Singaporean divorced parents’, panel speaker for 11th Family Research Forum, 28 April
2014, Ministry of Social and Family Development, Singapore.
Quah, S.E.L. 2011. ‘"Students should not be disadvantaged": Maintaining equity in teaching
from a casual tutor's perspective’, Panel discussion: Doing the Right Thing: Ethics, justice and
inclusion in the teaching of sociology in The Australian Sociological Association Conference
2011, Local Lives/Global Networks, 29 November – 1 December 2011, University of Newcastle,
Australia.
CONFERENCE/ SEMINAR PRESENTATIONS
Conference presentations:
Tang, S., & Quah, S.E.L. 2015. ‘Female headed households in Singapore: A case of never
married and divorced mothers’ in Singapore Families and Population Dynamics Conference, 28
April 2015, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Quah, S.E.L. 2014. ‘Reconfiguring personal communities in a divorce biography’ (distributed
paper) in XVIII International Sociological Association World Congress, 13-19 Jul 2014,
Yokohama, Japan.
Quah, S.E.L. 2014. ‘Understanding the reconfigured everyday life of children from divorcedparent families in Singapore’ in Growing up in a one-parent family in Asia conference, 1-2 Jul
2014, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Quah, S.E.L. 2011. ‘‘My friends and family are there for me': the significance of social network in
divorcees' development of self’ in 60 Years of Sociology, The British Sociological Association
Annual Conference 2011, 6-8 April 2011, London School of Economics, United Kingdom.
Seminar presentations and lectures:
‘Where do I live now?: Housing issues confronting Singaporean divorced women’, invited
speaker for Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) Roundtable discussion
series, 12 March 2015, AWARE Centre, Singapore.
‘Race, ethnicity and intimate life’, guest lecture for Sociology undergraduates, 3 February 2015,
National University of Singapore, Singapore.
‘Family and Divorce in Australia and Singapore’, invited lecture for Sociology undergraduates,
12 September 2014, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.
Inaugural University of Sydney-University of Tokyo postgraduate students’ workshop, invited
facilitator, 21 July 2014, Tokyo, Japan.
‘Housing issues faced by Singaporean divorcees’, invited lecture for New Columbo Plan field
school (University of Sydney, Sydney Southeast Asia Centre), 4 Jul 2014, National University of
Singapore, Singapore.
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‘Divorce biographies in Singapore’, Asia Research Institute Seminar Series, 15 April 2014,
National University of Singapore, Singapore.
‘Divorce, individualisation and personal communities’, guest lecture for Self and Society unit of
study, 31 July 2012, The University of Sydney, Australia.
‘Large Classes Seminar 2
"Working with Teams of Tutors"
’ in Faculty of Arts Teaching and
Learning Network seminar, 17 May 2010, The University of Sydney, Australia.
MEDIA INTERVIEW
Quah, S.E.L. 2014. ‘Pre-divorce programmes a possibility for divorcing couples ‘, Channel
NewsAsia, 6 May 2014, http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/pre-divorceprogrammes-a/1096760.html
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