This page includes links to selected writings. For a complete list, please see my CV.
BOOKS
- Neoliberal Morality in Singapore: How family policies make state and society (Routledge, 2011)
- This is What Inequality Looks Like (Ethos Books, 2018)
JOURNAL ARTICLES AND BOOK CHAPTERS
- “Ordinary People Dream” pp. 3-35 in Why Not? Thinking about Singapore’s Tomorrow, edited by Kanwaljit Soin and Margaret Thomas (World Scientific, 2024)
- “Education as care labor: Expanding our lens on the work-life balance problem.” Current Sociology 71(7): 1181-1382 (2023)
- “Educational Inequality and Development” in The Routledge Handbook on Global Development, edited by Kearrin Sims, Nicola Banks, Susan Engel, Paul Hodge, Jonathan Makuwira, Naohiro Nakamura, Jonathan Rigg, Albert Salamanca, Pichamon Yeophantong (Routledge, 2022)
- “From public sociology to collective knowledge-production“, pp. 54-65 in The Routledge International Handbook of Public Sociology, edited by Leslie Hossfeld, Brooke Kelly, and Cassius Hossfeld (Routledge, 2021)
- (with Ng Kok Hoe, Neo Yu Wei, Ad Maulod and Ting Yi-Ting) “Measuring needs and setting standards in Singapore” in Researching Minimum Income Standards: International and Comparative Policy Perspectives, edited by Christopher Deeming (Policy Press, 2020)
- “Seeing a story to get to a case”, pp. 34-43 in They Told Us to Move, edited by Ng Kok Hoe and the Cassia Resettlement Team (Ethos Books, 2019)
- “Falling Short: Class and the Performance of the Familial”, pp. 96-111 in Family and Population Change in Singapore: A unique case in the global family changes, edited by Wei-Jun Jean Yeung and Shu Hu (Routledge, 2018)
- “Poor people don’t like oats either” in Living with Myths in Singapore, edited by Loh Kah Seng, Thum Ping Tjin and Jack Meng-Tat Chia (Ethos Books, 2017)
- “Vignettes of Poverty Versus Stories of Inequality.” Media Asia 43(3-4):138-44 (2017)
- “Not everyone has ‘maids’: class differentials in the elusive quest for work-life balance.” Gender, Place & Culture 23(8): 1164-78 (2016)
- “Interrogating the limits of welfare reforms in Singapore.” Development and Change 46(1): 95-120 (2015)
- “Support for deserving families: inventing the anti-welfare familialist state in Singapore.” Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 20(3): 386-406 (2013)
- “Shaping the Singapore family, producing state and society.” Economy and Society 39(3): 337-359 (2010)
- “Gender disarmed: How gendered policies produce gender-neutral politics in Singapore.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 34(3): 533-558 (2009)
COMMENTARIES
- ‘Beyond CSR, annual days of service, and philanthropy: community and its virtues,’ Speech at IPS Singapore Perspectives 2025, February 20, 2025
- ‘How I’ve stayed an academic (thus far),’ AcademiaSG, 25 June, 2024
- ‘How minimum income standards can help us build a more inclusive society‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), AcademiaSG, 9 October 2023
- ‘The ultra rich and the myth of a philanthropic dividend’ (with Linda Lim) AcademiaSG, 9 June 2023
- ‘Inequality and social good: A new culture of shared wellbeing requires reforming a system that promotes individualism,’ AcademiaSG, 22 October 2022
- ‘A living wage for Singapore‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), Singapore Institute of Directors, Directors Bulletin, April 2022
- ‘How people think about basic needs‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), The Karyawan, January 14, 2022
- ‘How study drew up what makes for basic living standard in Singapore‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), The Straits Times, 13 October 2012
- ‘Be decent mother, go through PSLE”: when children’s education becomes parental care labor,’ AcademiaSG, 24 February 2021
- ‘Security and independence are basic needs‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe, Neo Yu Wei, Ad Maulod and Stephanie Chok), AcademiaSG, 1 July 2020
- ‘In this zombie apocalypse, your homework is due at 5pm,’ AcademiaSG, 9 April 2020
- ‘Crisis is exactly the time to make structural changes to address poverty and inequality‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), AcademiaSG, 17 March 2020
- ‘Making sense of data: Household income and expenditure, basic needs and inequality‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), The Edge, 13 August 2019
- ‘S$1,379 a month needed for basic needs? This is how Singapore’s seniors agree on this baseline‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), TODAYonline, 4 June 2019
- ‘How to achieve a basic standard of living for older people in Singapore‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), The Edge, 23 May 2019
- ‘Let’s talk about a living wage: Singapore should consider a society-wide approach to raising low wages,’ The Straits Times, 7 March 2019
A Mandarin translation of this article was published by New Naratif on 16 April 2019: ‘谈一谈生活工资：新加坡应该从整体社会角度探讨如何解决底薪问题‘. - ‘Academic Freedom in Singapore and the “Fake News” Law,’ New Naratif, 11 April 2019
A Mandarin translation is also available: 新加坡的学术研讨自由与”假信息”法案 - ‘Merdeka Generation Package: Time to move beyond one-time ‘packages,’ The Straits Times, 22 February 2019. A Mandarin translation of this article was published by New Naratif on 22 March 2019: ‘是时候超越种种“一次性配套”政策‘
- ‘What Spore’s fertility debate teaches us about inequality: More schemes won’t work unless we look at big picture,’ The Straits Times, 17 July 2018
- ‘Lack of social mixing is a symptom of inequality, not a cause,’ The Straits Times, 7 June 2018
A Mandarin translation of this article was published by 联合早报 on 29 June 2018: ‘勿将不平等症状误解为原由‘ - ‘Let’s talk about meeting needs, not just equality of opportunity,’ The Straits Times, 30 May 2018
- ‘Tackling inequality vigorously: academics give their views,’ The Straits Times, 11 May 2018
- ‘Commentary: Why investing in early childhood education cannot be the primary solution to inequality,’ Channel News Asia, 9 May 2018
- ‘The economy as a means to an end, not an end in itself,’ The Straits Times, 23 February 2018
- ‘Let’s talk about poverty and inequality today,’ The Straits Times, 17 October 2017
- ‘Civil society’s role cannot be to provide public goods‘ (with Ng Kok Hoe), The Straits Times, 5 June 2017
- ‘Speak about inequality, not just inclusion,’ The Straits Times, 4 May 2017
- ‘Why low-income parents may make ‘poor choices,’ The Straits Times, 10 March 2016
- ‘Equality among adults begins with kids,’ The Online Citizen, 29 October 2015
- ‘Support for single parents will strengthen our society,’ AWARE, 11 February 2015
- ‘Celebrate all families on International Day of Families‘ (with Jolene Tan), The Straits Times, 15 May 2014
- ‘Modeling good values by treating domestic workers with respect,’ AWARE, 18 March 2014
- ‘An inclusive approach to family,’ The Straits Times, 13 January, 2014
- ‘The trouble with limited paternity leave,’ TODAYonline, 18 June 2013
- ‘Mums aren’t super, they’re just ordinary,’ TODAYonline, 6 May 2013
- ‘How Stiglitz weakens change in Singapore,’ TODAY, archived on AWARE website, 27 March 2013
- ‘Beware the unintended consequences,’ TODAYonline, 7 February 2013
- ‘Why fertility measures matter to all,’ TODAYonline, 28 January 2013
- ‘Let’s stop conflating wealth with worth‘ (with Kamaludeen Mohamad Nasir), TODAY, archived on AWARE website, 29 October 2012
- ‘May all fathers enjoy the right to a family life‘ (with Vivienne Wee), TODAY, archived on AWARE website, 17 June 2012
- ‘The privilege of care and the right to rights‘ (with Vivienne Wee), TODAY, archived on the AWARE website, 16 March 2012
- ‘Protecting younger members of our society,’ TODAY, archived on the AWARE website, 10 May 2012
- ‘Having kids is not just a personal choice,’ The Straits Times, archived on the AWARE website, 28 January 2011
INTERVIEWS AND MULTIMEDIA
- ‘$6693 is the Minimum Income Standard in Singapore today’ The Financial Coconut Podcast (22 January, 2024)
- ‘Minimum Income Standard with Teo You Yenn and Ng Kok Hoe‘ Teh Tarik with Walid Episode 69
- “Does a family of 4 in Singapore need $6,426 a month for basic living standard?” interview with Ng Kok Hoe and Teo You Yenn, by Grace Ho, In Your Opinion Straits Times podcast (in 2 parts: May 13 and 27, 2022)
- ‘What is a basic standard of living?’ interview with Teo You Yenn and Ng Kok Hoe, by Kwan Jin Yao, Socialservice.sg podcast (December 2021)
- ‘Education as care labor‘, Seminar given at the Centre for Family and Population Research, National University of Singapore (13 November 2020)
- Saga: Aware podcast, select episodes (November 2020)
- ‘Beyond the Pandemic: What have we learned and have still to learn‘ (AcademiaSG webinar, 1 May 2020)
- ‘Growing up in an unequal society,’ animated video of public lecture given at the Singapore Children’s Society, 2018
- ‘Universal welfare and saying ‘no’ to tuition: Teo You Yenn goes On the Record about inequality‘ by Bharati Jagdish (Channel News Asia, 22 May 2018). You can also listen to the full interview
- ‘Underclass: Interview with Alvin Tan, Kok Heng Leun and Teo You Yenn‘ (podcast) by Corrie Tan for ArtsEquator (May 2018)
REVIEWS
- ‘Finding paths to housing security amidst the many roads that lead to homelessness’–discussant remarks at the launch of the report Seeking Shelter by Ng Kok Hoe and Jeyda Simren Sekhon Atac (AcademiaSG, 13 August 2022)
- ‘What we know shapes how we imagine affects how we live together—Book review of 90 Years in Singapore by Irene Lim‘ (New Mandala, 14 August 2020)
- ‘Wretchedness and absurdity: thoughts on Bong Joon-Ho’s Parasite‘ (Arts Equator, 18 February 2020)
- ‘Doing: the work of dreaming‘ (M1 Peer Pleasure Youth Theatre Festival, July 2019)
- ‘Foreword‘ to Hard at Work: Life in Singapore, edited by Gerard Sasges and Ng Shi Wen (National University Press, 2019)
REPORTS
- Ng, Kok Hoe; Wong Yee Lok; Teo You Yenn; Neo, Yu Wei; Ad Maulod & Stephanie Chok. 2023. Minimum Income Standard 2023: Household budgets in a time of rising costs
- Ng, Kok Hoe; Teo You Yenn; Neo Yu Wei; Ad Maulod; Stephanie Chok; Wong Yee Lok. 2021. What People Need in Singapore: A Household Budgets Study
- Ng, Kok Hoe; Teo You Yenn; Neo Yu Wei; Ad Maulod; Ting Yi Ting. 2019. What older people need in Singapore: A household budgets study
- For complete data and Chinese and Malay translations of the 2021 report, see the research website
Teo You Yenn 