Abstract
This chapter provides a description of the sociocultural background against which concepts such as childhood, motherhood, and adult–child continuity are constructed within the Indian cultural worldview. A survey-based inquiry was conducted with parents of young children in urban India to gain insights into parents’ perceptions on adult–child relationships including those with extended family; parents’ attitudes with regard to the education of their young children; parents’ preferences for the skills and behaviors which in their view were important for their children to learn; and the impact of globalization, if any, on their parental beliefs and practices. A description is provided of the methodology and backgrounds of the parents who participated in the survey. The findings based on data analysis are organized into the following categories: the priority given to adult–child continuity across generations; the value placed by parents on knowledge, learning, and education; the importance accorded to strong character development and well-being of children; parents’ perceptions on the influence of globalization on their parenting, and how their parenting styles might differ from that of their parents. The findings and review of literature are referenced in discussing how the concepts of childhood, parenthood, and motherhood are socioculturally constructed within the contexts of traditional and global forces at play within Indian society, and the desire of many Indian parents to invest financially and emotionally in their children’s education to ensure that they are equipped with the skills required to succeed in a globalized world.
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Gupta, A. (2019). Early Childhood Parental Philosophies and Practices in Urban India: Education, Care, and Well-Being of Young Children in a Society Shaped by Traditional and Global Forces. In: Investment in Early Childhood Education in a Globalized World. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60041-7_6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60041-7_6
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