Globalization and the Changing Pattern of Parent-Child Relationship: A Case Study on Dhaka City

The aim of this study is to explore the changing pattern of parent child-relationship in terms of globalization that is encouraged by communications technology and western culture. Therefore, the present study aims to critically explore the recent changes in parent-child relationship due to the increasing dependence on the uses of mobile phone, Skype, facebook, tweeter etc. by the students studying in different educational institutions of Dhaka city. Research suggests that respondents who frequently use the communication technologies (mobile phone, internet etc.) and accustomed to western culture are more likely to feel less bonded with their parents. This study, solely, investigated the correlations between the usage of communications technology and the contemporary changing pattern of parent child relationships among the students of Bangladesh. It revealed that the respondents who spend huge time using the communications technology got influenced by western culture such as practices of premarital sex and live together cultures and thus they unintentionally draw a border line from their parents. Moreover, parents’ lack of quality time giving with their children was found to be one of the prime reasons of the recent gap between parent and children. The study uses quantitative method of data collection. Samples are selected using simple random sampling procedure for the survey. A number of 384 students of the University of Dhaka, Motijheel Ideal School and College and Maple Leaf International School are interviewed. The theoretical foundation of this study is Bengtson’s theory of ‘intergenerational solidarity’ where he showed that lack of exchanging information, emotional support, functional assistance and social integration affect parent-child relationship. Results of the logistic regression indicate the importance of items of globalization in determining the pattern of parent-child relationship such as addiction to communications technology (R=0.22, p<0.001), accustomed to western culture (R = 0.17, p<0.08) and external relations (R=0.15, p<0.001). Findings suggest a significant relationship between communications technology and the changing pattern of parent-child relations. Findings also show that most of the respondents being influenced by western culture that reach to them via dish antenna and Internet prefer to spend less time with their parents. Dhaka University Institutional Repository CONTENTS Page No. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS i ABSTRACT ii CONTENTS iii LIST OF TABLES iv LIST OF FIGURES iv Chapter 1 : INTRODUCTION 1-5 1.1 Statement of the Problem 1 1.2 Objectives of the Study 3 1.3 Hypotheses 3 1.4 Rationale of the Study 4 1.5 Scope of the Study 4 1.6 Limitations 5 Chapter 2 : RESEARCH ON PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIP 6-21 2.1 Pattern of Parent-Child Relationship in Pre-modern and Modern Time Period 6 2.2 Changing Pattern of Parent-child Relations in Postmodern Time Period 7 2.3 Pattern of Parent-child Relations VS Child’s Deviant Behavior 8 2.4 Changing Parent-child Interactions in Different Stages of Life 11 2.5 Changing Context of Parent-child Relationships over the Lifespan 12 2.6 Cultural Context of Parent-child Relationships 14 2.7 Bilateral Matter Between of Parent-Child Relations 16 2.8 Parental Quality Time Spending Vs Children’s Socialization 17 2.9 Technology Vs Parent-child Relationship 19 Chapter 3 : THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 22-29 3.1 Conceptualization of Parent-Child Relations: Intergenerational Solidarity 22 3.2 Changing Pattern of Conjugal life and Transformation of Parent-Child Relationship 22 3.2.1 Ulrich Beck and Elizabeth Beck-Gernsheim: The Normal Chaos of Love 25 3.3 The Network Society: the Rise of Information and Communications Technology 27 3.4 Theoretical Framework 28 3.5 Conceptual Framework 29 Chapter 4 : METHODOLOGY 30-38 4.1 The Respondents 30 4.2 Study Areas 30 4.3 Data Collection Methods 31 4.4 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size Determination 31 4.5 Construction of the Interview Schedule 32 4.6 Pre-testing and Finalization of Survey Instrument 33 4.7 Non-availability of Respondents 33 4.8 Data Collection Instruments 33 4.9 Administering the Survey 34 4.10 Computerization and Management of Data 34 4.11 Analysis of Data 35 4.12 Measurement of the Variables 35 4.13 Development of Measures for Multivariate Analysis 36 4.14 Validity and Reliability 36 4.15 Ethical Considerations 37 Dhaka University Institutional Repository Chapter 5: CHARACTERISITICS OF THE RESPONDENTS 39-42 5.1 Respondents’ Socio-economic and Demographic Characteristics 39 Chapter 6 : COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY AND PARENT-CHILD RELATINSHIP 43-51 6.1 Role of Technology in Determining Parent-Child Relationship 43 6.2 Parents’ Quality Time Giving Tendency VS Parent-Child Relationship 46 6.3 Love Relations VS Parent-Child Relationship 48 6.4 Comparative Analysis between English Medium and Bangla Medium Students 50 Chapter 7: COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY AND EXTERNAL RELATIONS VS PARENTCHILD RELATIONSHIP: BIVARIATE and MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS 52-56 7.1 Western Culture, Communications Technology and the Pattern of Parent-Child Relationship 52 7.2 Extent of communication technology use VS parents’ quality time giving tendency 53 7.3 Predicting Perception on Parent-Child Relationship: Multivariate Analysis 54 Chapter 8: GLOBALIZATION AND CHANGING PATTERN OF PARENT-CHILD