Webs of Care: Qualitative GIS Research on Aging, Mobility, and Care Relations in Singapore

Figures & data

Figure 1. Study area in Greater Jurong, Singapore.

Table 1. Fieldwork stages and number of participants

Method	No. of participants	Breakdown
1. Initial in-depth interviews	110	Singaporean older adults (nonmigrants)	69
		PRC older adults (temporary migrants)	41
2. Go-along interviews 3. 7 days of GPS tracking 4. Closing in-depth interviews (using GIS maps)	20	Singaporean older adults (nonmigrants)	10
		PRC older adults (temporary migrants) in Singapore	10

Note: PRC = People’s Republic of China; GPS = Global Positioning System; GIS = geographic information systems.

Table 2. Pseudonymized profile of the participants discussed

Singaporean older adults (citizens who are nonmigrants)
Participant	Age range	Ethnicity	Other details
Madam Aisha	Mid-sixties	Malay	Retired three years ago due to health issues; lives with husband (early sixties, working part time) in a studio flat; adult son and daughter are married and have moved out; caregiving duties to three grandchildren (preschool and primary school ages) on one weekday
Madam Low	Mid-sixties	Chinese	Worked part time intermittently; lives with adult daughter (unemployed) and husband (with medical condition) in a four-room flat; two adult sons are married and have moved out; caregiving duties to two grandchildren (early adolescent ages) during weekdays
Mr. Seet	Early-sixties	Chinese	Retired two years ago due to health issues; lives with wife (early sixties, working full time) and younger adult son (single) in a five-room flat; older adult son is married and has moved out; caregiving duties to two grandchildren (preschool ages) on one weekday
PRC older adults^a (temporary migrants)
Participant	Age range	Hometown	Other details
Mr. Dai	Early seventies	Eastern China	Two adult daughters—one in Singapore (naturalized citizen) and the other in China; comes to Singapore every alternate year with his wife (mid-sixties); one grandchild (primary school age); holds a five-year Long Term Visit Pass; assisted by a live-in foreign domestic worker
Mr. Liu	Early seventies	Eastern China	Three adult daughters—one in Singapore (permanent resident) and two back in China; comes to Singapore annually with his wife (mid-sixties); two grandchildren of primary school ages; holds a five-year Long Term Visit Pass; assisted by a live-in foreign domestic worker
Madam Zhen	Early sixties	Northeastern China	Only adult daughter (naturalized citizen) and son-in-law are Singaporean; comes to Singapore annually with her husband (mid-sixties); holds a five-year Long Term Visit Pass

Note: PRC = People's Republic of China.

^aThese participants started coming to Singapore between 2008 and 2015.

Table 3. Activity space of Singaporean older adults and PRC older adults

Group	SDE1 (${\mathrm{km}}^2$)		SDE2 (${\mathrm{km}}^2$)		MCP (${\mathrm{km}}^2$)
	M	Median	M	Median	M	Median
Singaporean older adults (n = 10)	16.40	8.94	65.59	35.74	118.13	90.05
PRC older adults (n = 10)	3.27	1.12	13.08	4.49	22.86	6.84

Note: PRC = People’s Republic of China; SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon.

Figure 2. Geographic information systems visualizations of Mr. Seet. (A) MCP and SDEs; (B) space–time path without grandparenting duties; (C) space–time path with grandparenting duties. FSC = family service center; SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon.

Figure 3. Geographic information systems visualizations of Madam Aisha. (A) MCP and SDEs; (B) space–time path without grandparenting duties; (C) space–time path with grandparenting duties. SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon.

Figure 4. Geographic information systems visualizations of Madam Low. (A) MCP and SDEs; (B) and (C) space–time paths (both with grandparenting duties). FSC = family service center; SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon. FSC = family service center; SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon.

Figure 5. Geographic information systems visualizations of Mr. Dai. (A) MCP and SDEs; (B) and (C) space–time paths (both with grandparenting duties). SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon; FSC = Family Service Centre.

Figure 6. Geographic information systems visualizations of Madam Zhen. (A) MCP and SDEs; (B) space–time path; (C) space–time path (both with grandparenting duties). SAC = senior activity center; SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon.

Figure 7. Geographic information systems visualizations of Mr. Liu. (A) MCP and SDEs; (B) and (C) space–time paths (both with grandparenting duties). CCA = cocurricular activities; CC = community club or center; SDE1 = first-level standard deviation ellipse; SDE2 = second-level standard deviation ellipse; MCP = minimum convex polygon.