RESEARCH REPORT NO. 24 "Changing Pattern of Child Rearings among Urban Low Income Families in Thailand" by Chancha Suvannathat and BSRI staff (1981) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background and purposes Based on the argeement of the Expret Group Meeting on "Development of indogenous teaching materials and training resources on the problems and needs of the child and the family life in Asia" in Manila, Philippines, during 21 - 23 September 1977, a study on changing patterns of child rearing among urban low income families in each participating country (7 Asian countries) was carried during the year 1978. As for Thailand, the objectives of the study were fourfold : 1. To investigate patterns of child rearing of urban low income families. 2. To investigate the differences of child rearing patterns between employed and unemployed mothers. 3. To examine the relationship between employment satisfaction and certain child rearing behaviors. 4. To examine the relationship between employment satisfaction and certain child rearing behaviors. Sample At the first stage, the sample pertained to 350 mothers who had relevant characteristics defined by the following criteria. 1. Having at least a child of not older than 6 2. Living with an employed husband 3. Having resided in Bangkok metropolitan area for a period of not less than one year. From these mothers, two subsamples were randomly selected according to the employment status : (a) 100 employed mother subsample, and (b) 100 unemployed mother subsample. Methodology Instrument The mother questionnaire was prepared, tried on, and finally constructed as the research instrument. This questionnaire was of the completion type and multiple – choice type consisting of 87 items. In addition, 23 country specific items of the same nature were added. A lengthy interview following closely the questionnaire items was used as a means to collect the data. The average time for using the instrument together with an interview for each mother was 2.5 hours. Besides, additional observations in the mothers’ home situation were made to shed some more light on the data obtained. Collection of data Prior to the actual stage of data collection, a preliminary study was done to yield some basic information data about the population from which the sample of mothers would be drawn. As for the main research instrument, some modifications were made after its try out. A two day workshop was arranged afterward for selecting and training the prospective interviewers. The interviews were mainly the Institute staff and senior students in the fields of Education and Guidance. Definite arrangements for mothers interview were then made with the permission and co-operation of the Klongteoy slum committee. The Institute’s research team worke closely with the Slum committee members from the inception of the project to the end. The duration of time for completing the field work was 2 months. Analysis of data The data obtained were first coded and put on a magnetic tape and processed by a computer to obtain required statistics. The statistics were used to test the independence between mother’s employment status and aspects of patterns of child rearing practice, between a number of pairs of variables concerning the child rearing practices, and between mothers’ work satisfaction and certain variables on child rearing practices of the employed mothers. Main finding Based on the data analysis, the result of the study revealed the permissive pattern of child rearing among the urban low income families, Yet, the permissiveness was inconsistent. It was found that the mothers were more severe with children is areas concerning economics and tidiness than those concerning physical punishment, verbal reward and material rewards were oftenly used, but reasoning was seldomly used. It may say that the study showed no difference in the large part of the investigated pattern of child rearings between employed and unemployed mothers. The difference found in child rearing behaviors were scattered and not very important. The result did not show conclusively that the employment status were accountable for more or less lenient behaviors in child rearing practices among the two subsampled mothers. Nevertheless, it was indicated that more satisfied employed mothers seemed to be consistent in handing their children than the unsatisfied employed mothers. Also, in socializing the children, there was a trend indicating that a greater proportion of the employed mothers used direct insturction and reinforcement than that of the unmemployed mothers. The mothers as a whole considered the intellectual aspect of child growth and development as the most important thing the raisting children. This might be dur to the factm that they could not perceive the total growth or interrelatedness of all aspects of child growth, Accordingly, the social and emotional aspects of development were less amphasized in the responses given by these mothers in the study. This finding might also reflect the fact that the mothers’ perceptions of children’s needs were based on their own lack of needs rather than on the real needs of their children. The conseguent use of children the gratify parental desires for miproved social position might cause a confusing and frustration effect on children. In final conclusion, despite small differences in child rearing in the past based on research evidences and in the persent as appearedin this study, it was noted that Thai child rearing pattern with its uniqueness of having general permissiveness has not changed. This permissive pattern could be considered a very important characteristic in Thai child rearing. Howerver, the trend is now showing that within the wide range of this permissive pattern, Thai parents are moving toward upbringing their children to be move independent, self-reliant, and socially responsible at the earlier age, to receive more similar treatment irrespective of their sex, and to have more of their physical and psychological needs satisfied. In addition, the parents make more use of the public knowledge resources especially from mass media in raising their children, and realize more of the participating role between mother and father in child rearing. These may be due to factors related to mothers’ urbanized outside employment. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SWUHOMEPAGEBack to Behavioral Science Research Institute