Sociologist Tan Ern Ser wants to know how the Singapore family is changing, and track this over many years to come.

He heads the newly set up Social Lab which will embark on ground-breaking new research this year on the diverse social and family landscape in Singapore.

The study will track the same 5,000 families over many years to find out how they cope with social and economic stresses that come their way. Researchers will ask the families about their housing dreams, educational aspirations and hopes of climbing up the social ladder, and return regularly to find out what has changed.