At this point, it is useful to pause and look at the general conditions of children in India, in particular with regard to all inflicted on them by their parents and society in general treatment. Historically, we all know that the primary caregiver of a child was the mother, immediate or as much family, the common family (castes) secondary Jati relations. Kakar (1978, 1982, 1989, 1996, 2008), who made a detailed analysis of Indian child and society in his book “Inner World - A psychoanalytical study of childhood and society in India” was much stopped in the mother-child relationship and discussed how deeply this relationship affects the "quality" and "dynamic" of society throughout their life. According to the belief that life begins at conception …show more content…
However, this “childcenteredness”, was found to be limited to children. Indian tradition has always been indifferent, if not openly hostile, girls develop destination. The Indian tradition adheres to an ideology that reduces the role of the environment and included in the development of a child, and instead emphasizes a deterministic conception of mystical heritage. This mystical heritage in the Mahabharata was reduced to karmas of the previous life and the father of attributes (including caste) transmitted by his "seed" (Kakar, 1981: 199-200). These epics also reported on how children, especially young males, were placed under the supervision and guidance of respected gurus in which the moral precepts set forth in the shastras are taught in a one-to-one basis. But that, too, was limited to children breeds more …show more content…
And this indulgence protection is best reflected in the issues that concern mostly the children - namely, their punishment. The children were only to be beaten with a rope or a split bamboo at the end. The split bamboo, as we may remember from circus clowns’ mock fights, which made a loud noise, but does not inflict much pain. Moreover, even this punishment should be brought back and never in the head or chest. All those who have views on regressive discipline of children, the beating of children may not seem "indulgence of protection." However, the magnitude of this indulgence becomes startlingly clear when comparing the Laws of Manu with the legal texts of other ancient societies which existed as brutal forms of abuse and ill-treatment of children. As mentioned at the beginning, there is evidence in the codes and compendia of ancient Rome right to suggest that the brutal forms of child abuse were common evil, that the most enlightened emperors tried to mitigate. And it was not until as late as 374 AD that infanticide was declared a capital crime in the Roman world. In short, despite the laws of Manu modern standards have been severely condemned as a reservoir of evil, his attitude towards children - one of protection nurturance- is undeniable, at least in the premises of the patriarchal society that
As we studied in class, early Indian culture and society in 300 C.E., the Hindu society was dominated by the caste system, which influenced almost every aspect of life. Each caste had its own particular dharma, carrying with rights, obligations and restrictions. Beyond this was a generalized dharma applicable to all: deference to the Brahmins, devotion to the gods, and reverence for the Ganges and for sacred cattle (Connections, Pg. 58). Procreation too, was considered a sacred duty: large families were seen as blessings from the gods, and any attempt to limit family size was frowned upon (Connections, Pg. 58). Since reproduction was essential to reincarnation, for most people marriage and parenthood were moral obligations.
Gandhi once said, “I have also seen children successfully surmounting the effects of an evil inheritance. That is due to purity being an inherent attribute of the soul”.
Common law and written statues in the late 1800's in the US regulated, but did not prohibit, the abuse of women and children. It was considered the duty of males to control their households and property. Within their own judgment and standards, men were allowed to use physical violence to discipline their family or household member.
Hindu society as a whole is divided into various small groups called castes each of which are well developed social groups. The membership of the caste is determined by the consideration of birth and children are automatically part of the caste that their parents belong to. Each caste group has its own privileges and rules in which are adopted by new generations and passed onto the next. Caste membership is an unchangeable and unarguable fact by which the male and females position in the social structure is entirely determined. Even if the person’s status, occupation, education and wealth may change the membership of that particular caste will still remain the same. Since this is usually a lifelong membership there is almost no social flexibility, however a low caste has been able in a generation or two to raise itself in the hierarchy. This is after gaining economic and...
In 1550 the social constraints and how the community viewed discipling and how to treat their children differs from the views in 1607 and in different parts of the world. As document one states in 1550 in Russia from the manual on parenting, parents were very strict on their kids and abused them to
The traditional Hindu caste system is arguably the world’s oldest surviving social hierarchy in the world. The Indian caste system combines both the Dravidian Indians Jati system as well as the Aryan social class system. In a traditional Hindu caste society, the assignment of individuals to places in the social hierarchy is determined by birth—with the child acquiring the social status of their parents. In the traditional caste system, one cannot change one's caste by choice; there was no mobility between classes. As a Westerner with a keen interest in sociology, I question how a religion that promotes inclusion, peace and unity can essentially discriminate against and oppress individuals simply based on birth. Although social classifications exists in all human societies, it’s problematic when these distinctions become the sole basis for social ranking and unequal access to opportunities such as wealth, power and prestige.
While all societies acknowledge that children are different from adults, how they are different, changes, both generationally and across cultures. “The essence of childhood studies is that childhood is a social and cultural phenomenon” (James, 1998). Evident that there are in fact multiple childhoods, a unifying theme of childhood studies is that childhood is a social construction and aims to explore the major implications on future outcomes and adulthood. Recognizing childhood as a social construction guides exploration through themes to a better understanding of multiple childhoods, particularly differences influencing individual perception and experience of childhood. Childhood is socially constructed according to parenting style by parents’ ability to create a secure parent-child relationship, embrace love in attitudes towards the child through acceptance in a prepared environment, fostering healthy development which results in evidence based, major impacts on the experience of childhood as well as for the child’s resiliency and ability to overcome any adversity in the environment to reach positive future outcomes and succeed.
A child is the gift of each marriage that often occurs between two lovers. In addition, problems are likelihood to occur in each relationship; children are capable of suffering under these issues, so it is essential for the parents to decide whether their child sustain with the father or the mother. However, their choice should be taken fairly because the child’s destiny would be ruined if the parents’ decision was taken sentimentally and unfairly. Although the minority of people thinks that children should stay with their fathers after a divorce, the majority of people think that children should stay with their mothers because children need a person that provides love, predominantly relate to their mothers in the early of their lives, need a person to take care of financially during the initial period of their lives.
This means that the image of a child, as it does the one of a mother, is largely influenced by individual worldviews. After much thought and reflection, I had determined that perhaps I should define the child as “s/he exists through his/her relationships within various contexts” (p. 3). This connects to my depiction of the ideal mother on the level of social influences. Kagitcibasi summarizes this thought by stating that “parental goals, beliefs, and values regarding children reflect societal values, but the latter cannot be subsumed under the former” (p. 28). In my opinion, this presents a challenge. Society’s expectation of the mother contradicts the needs of the child. A mother’s parenting is based on her cultural beliefs and values, yet society pressures mothers to believe in certain ideas (i.e. anti-vaccination and anti-breastfeeding movements) in order to be recognized as ‘good’ mothers. Likewise, a mother or parents beliefs and values determine their own image of the ideal child, which, therefore, determines their parenting roles. To summarize, society and social values plays a large part in how a person defines the child as well as the ideal
In each society, there are different types of rules and ideologies that are used in order to help govern its people. Within these communities, these rules create a social hierarchy developed through a ranked system based on either economic value or religious beliefs. A type of ranked system that most people are familiar with is the Caste System in India, which is a system of classification in a society based on birth. This complex social structure is most prevalent in India, where social hierarchy is in affiliation with Hinduism. It recognizes two concepts known as Varna and Jati. Varna is a word in Sanskrit meaning color and includes four main groups: the Brahmans, Kshtriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras. The fifth group, the most segregated caste in the system, is the Untouchables. Within each Varna contains an array of sub-caste called Jatis, which are also based on birth. The rules of the cases are governed through religious ideas of purity and pollution. These two socially constructed ideologies determine whether or not you were respected in the community. Caste assignments in India are predestined at birth rather than a personal choice. Individuals act and dress like those of their own caste in public, due to strict caste laws. Pressures of these rules tend to brainwash people into conforming into what society considers pure, as we’ll see in Kakar & Kakar’s reading. As human nature takes precedent, caste rules become less relevant. Indulging in one’s own desires or needs, especially during times of hardship, outweighs any types of rules that we’ll see in Freeman’s reading and the movie Distant Thunder. Though the caste system is such an intrinsic part of life, when faced with needs to survive, it becomes nothing more than just a...
Sagade, Jaya. Child Marriage in India: Socio - Legal and Human Rights Dimensions. Oxford University Press: 2005 edition. Print.
Until a child is eighteen years old, the parents have full responsibility. They provide a stable and loving environment for their children. As the leaders in a household, caring and loving parents also maintain the bonds that hold the family together. However, absence of loving parental guidance can create tension between family members. Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day shows how war, specifically the partition of India, affects a particular family.
Teenage pregnancy is an important and a widespread problem in India revolving to public health studies. Although, in India minimum age of marriage for a female is 18 and male is 22, the law is not been strictly followed by the society. It is now leading to serious social and medical troubles such as maternal and child health problems. Data of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-3 discovered that 16% of women, aged 15-19 years, have already started childbearing. Most of the teenage mother in India has a joint family background. They are not allowed to take any decisions according to their desires. Their life is been shaped by family me...
Female foeticide has become a disgraceful and shocking reality of this nation. For centuries, families across many parts of India have look upon the male child as the superlative of the two sexes. A male child is seen as a blessing in the Indian society and since years people have made lavish offerings and numerous prayers in hopes for getting a son. These beliefs continue to remain even though times have changed and now much of the inequality is reducing. The Indian society recognizes a insightful faith in every individual’s right to life and dignity but this rights are dishonored when it comes to women and children in this society. A difference in a society’s ideal values and its reality is defined as a social
Child marriage is a popular practice in India and Middle Eastern countries. It is defined as “a formal union before the age of eighteen” (unicef). In some cases the husband can be more than twice the age of the young girl. The median age of women at the time of their marriage is starting to increase, although this primarily includes women in higher income families. Seen as taboo in western countries, the practice is common in rural towns in places like India and Yemen. As a result of the marriage many young girls get pregnant, which is a serious health risk due to their underdeveloped bodies. The practice of child marriage takes away a young woman’s right to an education and also poses serious health risks.