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Matt Chiu, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts–University of the Arts Singapore, SingaporeAbstract
The arrival of a newborn is often expected to be a joyful milestone. Yet for many young parents in metropolitan settings, this period is marked by exhaustion, isolation, and emotional strain. Separating from extended family support and managing demanding dual income lives, parents must navigate early caregiving with limited time, limited help, and little room for recovery. Within this fragile social context, the pacifier often becomes a practical tool. It can soothe the infant, restore temporary calm, and offer parents a brief moment of relief. At the same time, its use is frequently accompanied by guilt. Clinical guidance cautions against prolonged dependence, citing potential dental, developmental, and behavioural concerns. Parents are often aware of these risks, but in moments of acute stress they may feel compelled to prioritise immediate handling over longer term worry. This emotional tension forms the core of this design research brief. The study draws on interviews with two dental professionals and 27 parents to examine how pacifier use is understood, negotiated, and justified in everyday urban caregiving. It also reviews selected pacifier case studies that incorporate weaning related features, in order to align with parental concerns identified in the field. Through critical design theory, socio cultural reflection, and narrative analysis, the paper reframes infant soothing as a humanitarian issue rather than a purely technical one. It argues that caregiving in urban life is not only a private responsibility, but also a quiet social conflict shaped by stress, limited support, and competing demands.
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Conference: IICAH2026Stream: Humanities - Sexuality, Gender, Families
This paper is part of the IICAH2026 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Chiu M. (2026) A Silent Conflict: Guilt, Relief, and the Pacifier in Urban Parenthood ISSN: 2432-4604 – The IAFOR International Conference on Arts & Humanities – Hawaii 2026 Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 73-86) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4604.2026.6
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2432-4604.2026.6
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