Faculty Profile

Professor Paulin Straughan is a Professor of Sociology (Practice) at the School of Social Sciences and the Dean of Students at the Singapore Management University. She is also the Director of the Centre for Research on Successful Aging (ROSA). She received the Bachelor of Arts from the National University of Singapore in 1985, the Masters of Arts (1988) and PhD (1991) from University of Virginia, USA. Her research activities focus largely on Sociology of health; well-being and Ageing, and work and Family. She is Principal Investigator (PI) of four projects which have been awarded more than S$10 million by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Social Affairs (MSF) and AI Singapore, from 2018-2022. She was was a Nominated Member of Parliament from 2009 to 2011, during which she argued for work-life balance and the nurture of a more pro-family social environment.

Qualifications

• PhD, University of Virginia, 1991
• MA, University of Virginia, 1988
• BA, National University of Singapore, 1985

Research Interests

• Family (Marriage & parenthood; Fertility patterns; Courtship)
• Medical sociology (Childhood obesity; Preventive health behaviour; Successful ageing; Infectious diseases)
• Sociology of work & organizational behaviour (Flexiwork arrangements)
• Ageing (Successful ageing, health, retirement)

Course(s) Taught in SMU

• Research Methods in Sociology and Political Science
• Medical Sociology