WEE, Ann nee Wilcox (Prof.)
Women through the Years: Economic & Family Lives,
Accession Number 001623
- Oral History Centre
Source
- 8
Total Reels
- Lai Ah Eng (Dr)
Interviewer
- 03:56:35
Total Running Time
- English
Language
Copyright Notice
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Reel/Disc 1 of 8
Metadata
- 2 May 1995
Recording Date
- 00:30:46
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Family background: Northumberland; younger of two children; intellectual father but prepared for manual work. Gender division between boys and girls. Education: grammar school; social work, sociology, psychology at university; did not complete master's degree because married (1950), came to Singapore (1950). Marital background: met future husband during studies; cross-cultural backgrounds. Initial adjustments to husband's family and life in Singapore (e.g. Tanglin Club, Swimming club). Knew anthropologists Maurice Freedman and Judith Djamour. Connections with homeland and family through letters. After daughter's birth (1950), did relief teaching (1951- 1954). Experiences as teacher in adjustment years in Singapore; made own friends.
Remarks
Interviewee's husband is Harry Wee Soon Kong.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 2 of 8
Metadata
- 2 May 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:06
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Adjustments: cultural (English-educated Straits Chinese) in anti-colonial context; poverty and sickness. Background of sociology, anthropology & social work: teaching in Social Studies Department 1952; training officer in Welfare Department 1955. Background and experiences of social work relating to destitute young families, public assistance, marital counselling, adolscents, language adjustments, first-hand contact with poor and Chinese-educated & dialect-speaking. Work as tutor, lecturer, department head, senior fellow in university's Social Work Dept (1957 - 1995), first as part-time (1952 - 1957), then full time (1957 - 1987), then part-time (1987-). Courses taught; fieldwork training; annual surveys. Contributions to social work. Malayanisation of welfare services. Chronology of career development in Social Work Department.
Remarks
Interviewee's husband is Harry Wee Soon Kong.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 3 of 8
Metadata
- 18 Sep 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:49
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Other social work: advisor, Juvenile Court; mediator, Family Court; women's hotline (Association of Women for Action and Research, AWARE). Retirement plans: writing, cross-generations contact activities. Gender division in social work: men dominated until private sector growth; mostly women since 1950s; income disparities. Household management hinged on domestic help and tiffin-carrier. Domestic help: 1-2 Cantonese amahs; careful about over-dependency on amah for childcare; communication with amahs; duration of employment of amahs, division of domestic work in household and between amahs and employers.
Remarks
Interviewee's husband is Harry Wee Soon Kong.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 4 of 8
Metadata
- 18 Sep 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:32
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Division of work between amah and her; physical childcare and values transmission to children by amah (good manners, body concealment). Husband's involvement with children. Daily routines at different stages of children's development; activities. Parenting: children's teen years and preparation for life; values and practical life skills training; encouraging independence; did not want daughters to grow up like 'siew chehs'. Discussions and disagreements with spouse on bringing up children; husband's emphasis on school work; conscious gender socialisation of daughters to be independent.
Remarks
Interviewee's husband is Harry Wee Soon Kong.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
Reel/Disc 5 of 8
Metadata
- 18 Sep 1995
Recording Date
- 00:31:28
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Tiffin-carrier's role in household management. Extended family care in England. Relationship with in-laws based on affection and support, not duty and responsibility. Balancing work and family: always full-time work; back to work soon after childbirth. No major difficulties but fear of arrangements breaking down; arrangements when children fell sick; tiredness during breast feeding; guilty feelings. How coped with unexpected work. Work as norm for her. Overall, managed fairly well. Differences between women then and now. Then, less competitive, no career ambitions/track, less stressful, view as family and work; now, more stressful, view of family-versus-career. Changed idea of self-esteem and professional qualification. Then and now changes in domestic help, child development knowledge, parenting expectations, and pressures on children.
Remarks
Interviewee's husband is Harry Wee Soon Kong.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
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Reel/Disc 8 of 8
Metadata
- 25 Oct 1995
Recording Date
- 00:24:24
Running Time
- MP3
Format
- Open Access
Conditions Governing Access
Synopsis
Family values depended on personalities. Respect for each family member, love and affection; move from respect to love and affection but not lose respect even if no warmth. Herself as role model to her children. As parent, conscious of not always living up to highest ideals; showed children this through example of her telling white lies. Own role model - her parents and teachers. Reliving life - be bilingual, have many children, explore history. Life in Singapore - conscious of need to adapt to rapid changes; as an older person, preferred the 'coolie fong' concept to the 'golden village'. issues of frail old age of middle-class women.
Remarks
Interviewee's husband is Harry Wee Soon Kong.
We will get back to your request within 5 working days
