CHAPTER -1

INTRODUCTION

Two expressions, diverse and challenging, can be used in brief to describe

India. To say that there are diverse religions, languages, cuisines, ethnicities,
dress styles, ecosystems, markets, political organizations, customs, sports, film
traditions, music preferences, etc., is to state the obvious and yet one cannot
avoid beginning any discussion of India by stating this cliché if only to dissuade
the enthusiast who wants to offer an essentialist view of India.

Rationale of the Study

The researcher being born and raised in a metro city like Bangalore, after
a short stay at Coimbatore for research work, therein curiosity was aroused to
know about the ‘life style and values of the females culture’ in Colleges. The
researcher was interested in contributing in the field of women and youth welfare
in Social Work. The researcher was interested in studying the culture and found
that values form a part of the non-material culture. Therefore a study on this area
would help the researcher to understand this area better.

Definitions of Youth

According to An “Official” definition of youth, created by the United

Nations General Assembly in 1999 for the International Youth Year, and refers
to youth as “all persons falling between the ages of fifteen and twenty- four
inclusive.

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Curtain (2002), quoted in the U.N. World Youth Report 2003, and defines it as
a phase when a person moves from a time of dependence (childhood) to
independence (adulthood) and identifies four distinct aspects of this move:

 Leaving the parental home and establishing new living arrangements;

 Completing full-time education;
 Forming close, stable personal relationships outside of the family, often
resulting in marriage and children;
 Testing the labor market, finding work and possibly settling into a
career, and achieving a more or less sustainable livelihood.

Around the World the terms `Youth `, `adolescent`, `teenager` and

`young person` are interchanged, with the same meaning.

General Features of Youth / Characteristics of Youth

R.A.Anderson (2014) has listed the general characteristics of youth

Social and Emotional Development as follows:

▲ Labile Emotions

▲ Personal Identity

▲ Peer Relationships

▲ Independence and Testing Boundaries

▲ Self Centered Attitudes

The other attributes and development in youth can be explained in the words of
Tanvi Jain (2011) in her article regarding “General Charecteristics of adolescents
among students”

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1) Rapid physical growth and development- Change in voice change in weight,
height and strength.

2) Physical, Social and psychological maturity, but not all at the same time-
Physiological change means change in the internal system of the body. Some of
them gain weight, height later. So, they feel inferior.

3) Sexual maturity and the onset of sexual activity

4) Experimentation

5) Development of adult mental processes and adult identity.

6) Interpersonal Harmony:

Good behaviour is that which pleases or helps other, based on family and
cultural code. Intentions, not just effect, become significant. Approval of others
becomes significant.

7) Authority and social order/law and order:

The child respects authority by doing what are required and protecting
social and religious codes because they are there. As development continues, the
individual moves from concerns of other to a more generalized orientation to
follow societal rules and law.

Classification of Youth

Youth may be broadly classified into the following categories

▲ Student and non student

▲ Rural and Urban

▲ Rich and Poor

▲ Male and Female

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Student and Non Student

Both students and non students have a favorable value towards education.
Student youth have more members of friends than non-students youth. Family
and friends are the socializing agents for both student and non-student female
youth. Non – students complain gender partiality at home but not by students.
The religious values are also almost same for both student and non- student
female youth. Both students and non- students consider family and society as
factors contributing for good character. Both consider mass media has positive
effects. The values of students and non – students do not differ in few respect,
namely late night sleeping, cleaning the room by self and washing clothes.

Rural and Urban

Majority of Indian youth (73%) live in the villages. When villages do not
provide them the opportunities of life it is quite natural that most of them migrate
to the cities for bare subsistence. Youth both rural and urban suffer from anxiety,
worry, loneliness and lack of self – confidence. They feel that they are cut off
from the mainstream of national development.

All because of fears of avenues of employment, most of them are in need

of guidance and counseling. Rural youth are less educated and misguided by the
dominating leaders of that particular area, which they are engaged like
communalism, groupism and casteism. The causes of frustration in rural youth
are poverty, unemployment and lack of proper guidance. Urban youth, whether
male or female are known for their modern dressing pattern and craze for
fashions. Their age, education and exposure to mass media influence their way of
life to a greater extent. The urban youth can be divided into two categories such
as urban and suburban groups. The accessibility of urban youth to kinds of mass
media is different than the rural youth. Also the urban youth group gatherings are
not in view of social development/involvement based except some faith based
youth gatherings.

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 There are different kinds of gangs with highest technologies rather social
groups. The suburban group gatherings are more or less social groups and they
can be addressed through youth clubs, faith based organization and sports & arts
related clubs or forums. Rural youth can be divided into two one is the mobile
population and the other one is the static group in the village itself. There are
different kinds of youth in the mobile group.

A major group is the group with regular visits to the urban centers for
daily jobs. They are moving from the village at morning and coming back to the
village at late evening or night. The others are staying at the work place for one
week or one month and visiting their source villages at a frequency of once in a
week or once in a month. The mobile group is at more risk than the static group,
at the same time the mobile group is difficult to address.

Rich & Poor

Rich youth have energy, idealism and intelligence. They are not worried
about job, future plans, marriage and settlement. They resort to experimentation.
They actively sort out their values and may shift back and forth several times
among differing kinds of psychosocial, political, economic, religious and moral
attitudes before they decide which attitudes are most consistent with their basic
philosophy of life. The poor youth on the other side are deprived of youths.
They are mostly uneducated, unemployed and are socially backward. Most of the
rich youth or the creamy layers are the members of youth clubs

Male & Female Youth

The role of female is always linked to cooking, childcare, and health care.
The female youth in general lack training, status in society. The characteristics of
female like dependency, submissiveness, sense of inferiority are all the results of
process of acculturation and are necessary to recognize that often women provide
the vital support system for meeting these characteristics at family level. The
males on the other hand are considered confident and challenge every walk of

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life. The identity problem who am I? What shall I be? Are the questions over
which every youth ponders?

Youth Culture

Culture is one of the most important concepts in social science. Culture

and society go together. Youth culture is simply defined as that which is in
contemporary and has the stamp of approval of young people. It is that which has
mass appeal it is non linear and eclectic. The culture dictates what will become
the shared norm that provides young people with a deep sense of belonging and
often with a strong preference for behaving in certain ways.

Youth culture has aspects that cross racial, ethnic and geographical
boundaries and while all youth do not behave or think in the exact same ways
many similarities suggest that the vast majority of adolescents fit somewhere in
the mainstream of youth culture. How youth spend their time, what they value,
their attitude, styles and behaviors, their concerns and how they interact with
mass mediated messages, their peers and society at large constitute youth culture.

Today`s youth are extremely diverse in terms of culture. We contend that

the strength of youth culture is in what young people have in common with each
other and have become conscious of themselves as a separate group with
aspirations different from those of the rest of the population.

The mass media have also certainly had their share in forming this sense
of separations. Another factor influencing the spread of youth culture has been
the growth of higher education. Youth culture has changed over generations.
Today`s youth are surfing internet and they claim it to be their norm and
emailing is as common as using the telephone. Fashion is a huge influence of
youth culture, especially in relation to young people’s attitudes and behaviors.
Youth also face peer pressure both positive and negative. At this age
involvement with peers increases and can offer a sense of physical, emotional
and social comfort. Being part of a peer group can be a source of acceptance,

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affection and a place for experimentation. For e.g. to be a part of some peer
culture means conforming to certain unwritten rules such as dress code. Thus
youth culture shapes young people’s lives.

Migration and Youth

Income and Employment are the major criteria inducing the youth to
migrate from rural to urban centers. The lack of entrepreneurship, new and small
business in rural areas forces the younger generation to migrate. The degree of
migration comparatively is large in less developed and sub-urban areas.
Declining agricultural income & natural resource based industries induced
middle class youngsters migrate to cities for employment. Migrated youth are
craving for modern civilized life by their increased income and economic status.

The other side of migrated coin, new social problems like overcrowded
population creation of bad urban lands (slums) and other unlawful activities are
grown up

Modern Day Challenges for Youth

Youth today are raised on modern technology, this type of interaction has
caused an instant gratification syndrome that does not require the youth to
practice any form of self control or delayed reward from hard work, perseverance
or determination. Lack of role models are also a key factor in youth not wanting
to do the work necessary to be contributors to a society that has left them to fend
for themselves without adequate support.

Since motivation is the result of trying to overcome a deficiency, most

youth have learned to adapt to all things they lack by accepting it. This kind of
behavior would bring up issues of self esteem. Self-esteem is a term used in
psychology to reflect a person’s overall evaluation or appraisal of his or her own
worth which today’s youth do not have

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Asian Youth Culture in a Globalizing World

James Farrer,(2007) Associate Professor of Sociology at Sophia

University in Tokyo and has written widely on culture and youth in Asia
According to him One of the hallmarks of modernity is the invention of the
concept of “youth” as an intermediate period between childhood and full adult
responsibilities. In industrialized Asian countries, extended schooling and
delayed marriage mean that many young people now delay full adulthood well
into their third decade of life.

Asian youth came to the fore in the early twentieth century. Modern” boys
and girls were the focus of moral panics and conservative criticism in the 1920s.

Asian youth face some very new opportunities and challenges related to
globalization on four issues: the internet, sexuality, labor-market competition and
the seemingly paradoxical embrace of nationalism. The concept has been
extended to know about Internet Generation, Sexual revolution and also about
Cultural flows.

Factors Influencing Youth

Prevalence of different types of family system plays a pivotal role in

shaping youth personality and character. Declining of joint family system in
major parts of our country could be creating more changes for family disputes,
High degree of parent youth conflict might be seen glaringly in industrialized
and urbanized cities. Comparatively in agricultural and rural societies parent-
youth conflict is less in degree. In advanced metropolitan and western countries
due to democratization of family the parent- youth conflicts are less in number.

The subjects like discipline, spending money, use of vehicles, watching

TV, in which cases parent- youth conflict arises. However in modern societies
parents are changing their attitudes to accept changes in youth’s social norms and
values.

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National Youth Policy

The National Youth Policy, 2003 reiterates the commitment of the entire
nation to the composite and all-round development of the young sons and
daughters of India and seeks to establish an All-India perspective to fulfill their
legitimate aspirations so that they are all strong of heart and strong of body and
mind in successfully accomplishing the challenging tasks of national
reconstruction and social changes that lie ahead.

The earlier National Youth Policy was formulated in 1988. The socio-
economic conditions in the country have since undergone a significant change
and have been shaped by wide-ranging technological advancement. The National
Youth Policy - 2003 is designed to galvanize the youth to rise up to the new
challenges, keeping in view the global scenario, and aims at motivating them to
be active and committed participants in the exciting task of National
Development.

The Policy is based on recognition of the contribution that the youth can,
and should, make to the growth and well-being of the community and
endeavours to ensure effective co-ordination between the policies, programmes
and delivery systems of the various Ministries, Departments and other Agencies.
The thrust of the Policy centers on “Youth Empowerment” in different spheres of
national life.

Rationale of the National Policy

Since our national progress depends, crucially, on the ways and means
through which the youth are encouraged and nurtured as a positive force for
national progress and are enabled to contribute to socio-economic development,
it is essential for an appropriate policy framework to be in place to harness the
energies of the youth in this task.

Recognizing, further, that youth development is a multi-faceted concept, it

is equally necessary that all the relevant agencies, including the Ministries and

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Departments of the Central and State Governments, and local self Government
bodies and Panchayat Raj institutions devise their plans and programmes bearing
these aspects and features in mind. The Policy will facilitate a multi-dimensional
and integrated approach in this behalf, with the State Agencies striving to
accelerate the formulation and implementation of programmes.

An important indicator of the success of such programmes being the stake

of the beneficiaries in the results of the same, this Policy also stresses that the
youth of the country should enjoy greater participation in the processes of
decision-making and execution at local and higher levels. Such participation
would be facilitated by identifiable structures, transparent procedures and wider
representation of the youth in appropriate bodies, with the emphasis being more
on working with the youth than for the youth.

Objectives of the National Policy for Youth:

 To instill in the youth, at large, an abiding awareness of, and adherence to,
the secular principles and values enshrined in the Constitution of India,
with unswerving commitment to Patriotism, National Security, National
Integration, Non-violence and Social Justice;

 To develop Qualities of Citizenship and dedication to Community Service

amongst all sections of the youth;

 To promote awareness, amongst the youth, in the fields of Indian history

and heritage, arts and culture;

 To provide the youth with proper educational and training opportunities

and to facilitate access to information in respect of employment
opportunities and to other services, including entrepreneurial guidance
and financial credit;

 To facilitate access, for all sections of the youth, to health information and
services and to promote a social environment which strongly inhibits the
use of drugs and other forms of substance abuse, wards off disease (like

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 HIV/AIDS), ensures measures for de-addiction and mainstreaming of the
affected persons and enhances the availability of sports and recreational
facilities as constructive outlets for the abundant energy of the youth;

 To sustain and reinforce the spirit of volunteerism amongst the youth in

order to build up individual character and generate a sense of commitment
to the goals of developmental programmes;

 To create an international perspective in the youth and to involve them in

promoting peace and understanding and the establishment of a just global
economic order;

 To develop youth leadership in various socio-economic and cultural

spheres and to encourage the involvement of Non-Governmental
Organizations, Co-operatives and Non-formal groups of young people;
and

 To promote a major participatory role for the youth in the protection and
preservation of nature, including natural resources, to channelize their
abundant energies in community service so as to improve the environment
and foster a scientific, inquisitive reasoning and rational attitude in the
younger generation and to encourage the youth to undertake such travel
excursions as would better acquaint them with cultural harmony, amidst
diversity, in India, and overseas

Youth Today

India today has one of the largest populations of young and skilled
professionals. More than 60% of India’s population is below the age of 35 years
and skilled in one field or the other. The advent of modern science and
technology brought the changes in the social strata the western way. Social
transitions become the order of the day. All societies are susceptible to social
change and this change has had influence on the lifestyle, value system,

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achievement levels, career aspirations and social expectations in general among
youth and in particular in this study area namely the Coimbatore district.

Youth represent energy, enthusiasm and vigor which are valuable but
untapped human resource. Youth constitute almost a third of the world`s
population. The youth of today, seem to be very mature and responsible and the
exposure that they undergo through the pressure to excel in this very competitive
age has made them more mature than they were ever.

In early ages the youth were considered adults and had to take the
responsibilities of the whole family and was already parent in his teens. The
definition of youth has changed and now groups in their twenties and early
thirties are considered as youth. The 20th century considered the youth as those
that had to educate themselves on emerging streams of knowledge and were
exonerated from demanding jobs and responsibilities. But this padding did not
last in the 21st century when younger and younger people started taking charge of
situations and the traditionally old sectors like management were taken over by
the youth. Earlier there were limited fields where young people achieved one
being sports, but now we see young people achieving everywhere.

A new kind of maturity seems have taken over the youth of

today. It implies that young people are more energetic and over enthusiastic.
Today youth is taking part in making our country development in technology.
Today India is world class recognition in Information Technology. India has the
second largest pool of engineer and doctors in the world. India is getting
attention of whole world, cities like Bangalore, Hyderabad are world`s IT pub
this is because of our youth’s talent and hard work.

Youth of India in the 21st century

What is true for the larger canvas is also true for the world of Indian
youth, a fascinating section of the population that is existentially located across
different regions, social groups, economic segments, educational levels, and even
sartorial choices. There are multiple worlds in which youth reside. These worlds

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socialize them in different ways. The worlds are not static since they too have
been impacted by the processes of modernity and the forces of globalization.

The challenge that we confront is, therefore, to map the dynamics of this
change, to see how the processes that are producing transformation are being
refracted through the lens of Indian youth. After recognizing that there are
multiple life-worlds, and multiple responses to the encounter with modernity and
globalization, we need to set about exploring the world of Indian youth.
The changes taking place in the world of Indian youth will, it is believed, have a
global impact in areas that range from economy to security, from culture to
politics. Exploring the attitudes of Indian youth is therefore valuable to
understand the present and also to prepare for the future.

India offered itself as an ideal location because it is currently on the

threshold of a significant ‘demographic dividend’, a historical chance for the
society and polity to convert an unharnessed resource into a major societal asset.
In recent times studies have established a positive association between what is
termed the age structure transition (specifically, a rising share of working age
people in a population) and economic growth in India and China. Indeed,
demographers and economists have predicted higher growth prospects for India
compared to China over the next thirty years, since, as they put it, the effect of
the fertility decline and the bulge of population age cohort in the working age
group will sharpen in India in the coming decades.

According to current estimates, India is and will remain for some time -
one of the youngest countries in the world. The following population figures
from the World Bank gives a clear picture of the potential of India’s
demographic dividend. In 2000 India, Brazil and China had nearly 34% of their
population as youth as compared to less than 28% in Germany and the USA. In
2020 India alone will be 34% while all the other large countries will have
dropped below 31% including China which will be 28.5%. In 2020, it is
estimated, the average Indian will be only 29 years old, compared with the
average age of 37 years in China and the US, 45 in west Europe and Japan.
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 This demographic process entails a massive and growing labour force
which, it is held, will deliver profound benefits in terms of growth and
prosperity. The changed age structure of India’s population also means an
overall younger population as something more than simply a statistical fact since
it has political and social consequences for India and the world. Exploring the
attitudes and perspectives of India’s young population, therefore, becomes as
much an exercise of historical curiosity as it is a political and economic
necessity.

There are, therefore, several reasons for this study: Descriptive, in that it
helps us see how Indian youth share or diverge from the attitudes and
perspectives of youth elsewhere; and academic, in that we can contribute to the
interesting and rich debate on whether there is a single or whether there are
multiple routes to entering, encountering, and engaging with modernity in the
life’s of female youth.

This was at variance with the youth group in most countries of the global
north where it is 14-25 now the lower end is 12 years because of the early onset
of puberty. In India, in contrast, and also interestingly in many other countries of
the global south, the age group considered youth is the same as that of India,
which is 15-34.

The Real Indian Youth

Indian youth come in so many different forms that it is difficult to have

one picture that would fit all. Television serials, advertisements and the media
portray our youngsters as some kind of westernized nuts, frequenting disco clubs
and pursuing single objective of having fun. The boys who get interviews on TV
channels are the ones who sport pony tails and ear rings, while the girls wear
revealing dresses and dance away the night in trendy discotheques.

Is that the real picture of our youth? On the other hand, there are parents
also who complain about the tremendous workload on their children due to

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studies right from school, these young person’s rush from one tuition class to
another in the quest for high marks or to get into some good institute.

Whatever be the media image, most youngsters realize the importance of

hard work and know that parties and discotheques will get them nowhere. For
millions life is a big struggle. Sometimes the pressures are so great that students
commit suicide when they feel that they cannot live up to expectations

The real character of Indian youngsters probably lies somewhere in

between - yes, there is hard work, but there is also fun. Spending time with
friends, going for a movie and having an occasional party are as much a part of
life as is the desire to get ahead and to make something of one's life. These
youngsters also respect Indian values and may be more interested in their culture
than their elders.

Being young is also a battle for survival; many things are stacked against
Indian youth- an outdated education system, reservations in jobs, and admissions
to institutes that discriminates against the hard workers, an environment that does
not encourage creativity and innovations. But in spite of all this, many young
people often shine in their chosen fields

Female youth of the 21st Century

A strong candidate for visually representing the new world of youth in

India was the idea of a pair of jeans: blue jeans, black jeans, studded jeans, jeans
with patch pockets, jeans with messages. They have become a ubiquitous symbol
of youth in India, from the large village, to the small town, to the big city; from
the designer, to the fake designer, to the locally crafted; from the student at
college, to the youth in the informal sector of the economy; from the student’s
wing of the Congress to the student wing of the Communists, from the troubled
regions of India’s North East to the conservative temple towns of India’s South,
a pair of jeans has become the new symbol of having arrived in modernity. And
yet in this contrast of images there is a connection since the daughter’s arm is

35
around her mother who can think of no other body language but this. Is this
continuity with change? Is it expressive of a generation gap? Is it a statement on
modernity and tradition? Much decoding is called for and this study will offer
some preliminary clues.

The number of sites are increasing where youth are negotiating with
modernity, from the cyber cafe, to the mall, to the Business Process Outsourcing
(BPO) centre, to the beauty and fitness parlour, and of course to the college
campus where challenges to tradition are being fought. Identifying these sites is
important for us to complete our mapping exercise of the world of youth for it is
here where youth face and negotiate between the pulls of tradition and
modernity.

For example the mall is an interesting place, where conservative families

do not mind sending their children since it is safer there than on the street. In the
mall they buy little but consume a lot, consume leisure. And the mall could be
anywhere and displays no distinctive cultural location. The same is the case of
the many ways in which youth respond to modernity, particularly transgressing
dress codes, referred to as ‘sexy’ dressing where orthodoxy is being resisted.

According to Peter Ronald Desouza,et al,(2008) Such resistances can

also be seen in the politics of marginal and oppressed groups who are
challenging both traditional authorities from with their own social group as well
as hegemonies of the mind and of social practice within the wider society.

Female youth and education

Education of women, therefore, occupies top priority amongst various

measures taken to improve the status of women in India. It is considered to be
the most effective weapon for implementing social change. In recent years, the
focus of planning has shifted from equipping women for their traditional roles as
house-wives and mothers to recognizing their worth as producers, making a
major contribution to family and national income. Education has normally been

36
viewed as an agency helping economic production; it is also said to provide
instructions in suitable skills. Thus, one of the aims of higher education is to
develop efficiency in production. A great deal of ambivalence however exists as
regards women's education which has increased since women have begun to seek
employment. Since the constitution has declared men and women as equals, the
grounds of women's education cannot be different from men's education.

Education is one of the most important factors which determine the status
of a person. The level of education plays an important role in determining one’s
suitability for a job. According to the census of India 2001, the literacy amongst
women has gone up from 0.69% in 1901 to 54.16% in 2001. During the same
period, that is in the last 100 years the literacy rate for males has gone up from
9.83 to 75.85%. If we further analyze the literacy rate by level of education, it is
observed that the percentage of girl’s enrolment to the total enrolment at the
High / Higher Secondary Stages (classes IX to XII) was 33.01 per cent in 1991-
92 as against 13.33 per cent 2in 1950-51. In higher education the enrolment of
women was 40,000 in 1950-51 (14 women per 100 men) as against 1510
thousand in 1991-92 (49 women per 100 men). The enrolment of women has
shown significant growth. However, according to the NSSO Survey, (1993-94)
only 12.2 females graduates and above were in the labour force India against
14.5 males for the same in the urban areas.

As a matter of fact one of the most striking features of the employment

market in India during the past few decades has been the increasing number of
women seeking employment in all walks of life. The age-old social customs,
prejudices, taboos and barriers discouraging women from taking up paid
employment and also discouraging of women in employment by the employers
are getting diluted though a bit slowly. Today, more and more women are taking
up executive, managerial and professional jobs. Some of them have risen to top
positions of administration in the public as well as private sector. Yet, there is no
denying the fact that many remain outside employment.

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Unemployed Educated Female Youth

The needs of women seeking jobs and whose number went on swelling in
view of the Increasing volume of educational turn outs every year among them
more or less were ignored, although the negative impact of development process
on this group was felt deeper in view of its poor economic condition due to
unemployment. But as the consciousness grows, the need of generating the
whole process of social change in favor of such women began to be viewed in an
entirely different context and new perspective.

The category of unemployed educated women always toils under the

double burden of gender and economic deprivation. Although such women have
access to basic needs such as food, shelter and education, their income
independence remains primarily invisible permitting little social recognition.
Alongside, their implicit and invisible character in the economic share, the
unemployed educated female youth faces an atmosphere of violence both within
and outside the family. The phenomenon of economic deprivation due to
unemployment among them tends to define their social and cultural edifice,
putting further restrictions on mobility of these women youth.

The type of training or education she receives does not provide full scope
for the development of her potential abilities. This limits her chances of finding
lucrative employment. Social taboos and psychological conditioning continue to
hamper her participation in activities outside the home, and so prevent her from
making the best use of existing abilities. All these aspects indicate that a more
subtle, yet a considerable disadvantage continue to be at work.

Thus, for a better understanding, more research is necessary into the

socioeconomic and psychological circumstances of unemployed educated female
youth. For example, female youth are often found to be more vague and confused
about their motivations, abilities and their occupational interests. They are often

38
found to be lacking in the required skills for coping with the new role expected
of them. Some of the problems among the educated female youth reflect
uniqueness in terms of their role, conflicts and four patterns of career interest.
How women youth will work out the major adjustments and responsibilities
required by their roles in their family coupled with complexities of combining
with their vocational pursuits? How would women youth respond to the question
on impact of their pursuit of employment career on division of general household
responsibilities and decision making? These are some of the critical areas of
interest to social scientists of the day

Concept of Lifestyle

The Webster dictionary defines lifestyle as “The typical way of life of an

individual, group, or culture” In the strictest sense of the word, the definition of
lifestyle simply means the typical way a person goes about daily living. Most
people, however, define it in terms of wealth or a lack thereof. This doesn't begin
to hit the mark. When the facets that truly make up a lifestyle are considered, the
all-encompassing nature of this term becomes clear.

Facets that Make Up a Lifestyle

Everyone has their own distinct lifestyle that covers their typical actions
and surroundings on a daily basis. Some of the things that go into making one's
lifestyle distinct include:

 Habits – Everything a person does on a habitual or regular basis helps

make up their unique lifestyle. From diet and the pursuit of a
good lifestyle family fitness to bad habits like smoking, they're all part of
the picture.
 Career – The career or employment opportunities a person pursues also
help define lifestyle.
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  Financial means – While this isn't necessarily the most important facet of
a lifestyle, it does help define the manner in which an individual might
live.
 Emotional well being – Lifestyle is also a state of mind. When personal
peace and satisfaction are a part of everyday living, wealth won't
necessarily matter in the creation of a healthy, happy lifestyle.

Female Students and Lifestyle

The impact of the modern world upon young female youth, whether they
happen to live within India or have come to the West to study, comes most of all
through what can be called the modern lifestyle. Much more than modern
philosophies and theologies or ideologies, the modern lifestyle, which needless
to say, reflects a particular philosophy on its own level, affects female youth
directly and immediately with an impact which can be seen in almost all major
urban centers of the India as well as among many female students studying or
living in the West. This infatuation of the young with the modern lifestyle, which
has its origin more in America than Europe, is in fact not limited to the India.
Rather, it is a world-wide phenomenon and reflects the attraction of many female
student youth, on whatever continent they happen to be living today, for what
appears to be complete individualistic freedom from tradition and principles
which have been handed down over numerous generations.

Today, one sees an intense attraction among the young throughout the
world for the so-called pop music whether it be rock, heavy metal or other forms
and for the wearing of such typically modern dresses as blue jeans which reflect
the idea of freedom from constraint and of mobility and of the individual
declaration of independence from social norms. There is also the attraction for
fast cars and forms of entertainment which involve speed and daring as seen in
Western-made movies and other forms of mass entertainment. Most of the

40
female youth are travelling fast without knowing where to go. This fascination or
even mesmerization with the everyday modern lifestyle emanating from the
West, which is world-wide, is shared by large numbers of young female students,
especially those bombarded by television and other forms of mass media
transmitting the cultural values of the modern or so called post-modern world.
Of course, one of the most important characteristics of the new lifestyle is
rebellion against what youth consider to be tradition, as customs and habits and
all that has been transmitted to them from older generations.

To this must be added the fact that to an even greater extent, many
children are brought up in a home in which one of the parents is absent and the
other parent, not being able to fulfill the authority of both parents, often times
relinquished that responsibility which parents had in traditional families to
transmit ethical values and provide in all cultures in one form or another, but
today its commercialization and overemphasis have brought its significance out
of proportion and made it into almost a substitute for certain types of religious
activity.

One of the basic features of the modern lifestyle is, of course, the impact
of the mass media. One cannot overemphasize the significance of the role of the
media upon the creation of the world view of the youth and, in fact, almost
everyone else in modern society today.

The modern lifestyle is also characterized to a large extent by an earnest

search for meaning. It is the loss of the meaning of life for many of the young
that leads them either down the road of immediate sensual gratification through
sexuality or the use of drugs and in some cases to violence and crime or to the
quest for new philosophies, cultures and even religions. This phenomenon of the
search for the rediscovery of the meaning of life had had both a positive and a
negative aspect. Its positive aspect is that many spiritually sensitive and
intellectually alert young people in the West have become, for the first time,

41
open to the spiritual message of other cultures and religions and there is much
more receptivity to other spiritual worlds among them.

CONCEPT OF VALUE

According to Dona Daria, (2007) a value is a preference, shared with

others from one’s group, for one state of affairs above others. Values deal with
what is good and bad, beautiful and ugly, normal and abnormal. Values are
always collective within a group. An example of a value is respect for older
people within one’s group, or that girls should behave one way and boys another.

Values are deeply rooted and often unconscious, because they belong to
the things we learned as children, before puberty. We learned them from our
parents and from other adults and children around us, in the family, in the street
and at school, and within a culture they are transferred from parents to children.
Reading authors from the past we discover that the same values already existed
hundreds or even thousands of years ago.

A value is a belief about the desirability of a mode, means, or end of

action (Schwartz and Bilsky 1990). It indicates the degree to which something
is regarded as good versus bad. A value tends to be general rather than specific,
transcending particular types of action and situations. As a general evaluative
criterion, it is used to assess specific behaviors in specific situations.

The evaluative criteria represented by values derive from conceptions of

morality, aesthetics, and achievement. That is, a mode, means, or end of action
can be regarded as good or bad for moral, aesthetic, or cognitive reasons and
often for a combination of those reasons (Parsons and Shils,1951).

For example, being considerate of others may be valued positively (i.e., be

viewed as desirable or good) for moral reasons, neatness may be valued

42
positively for aesthetic reasons, and intelligence may be valued positively for
cognitive reasons.

Since the distinguishing characteristic of a value is evaluation as good or

bad, a value that has a cognitive basis is a function of cognitive appraisal based
on competency and achievement rather than on scientific or utilitarian grounds.
For example, the choice of steel rather than iron to construct a building is a
decision based on scientific or utilitarian criteria rather than on values.

According to Ann M. Beutel and Margaret Mooney Marini, (1995) the

concept of a value must be differentiated from other concepts that appear to be
similar. One of those concepts is a preference. A value may be thought of as a
type of preference, but not all preferences are values. The distinctive
characteristic of a value is that it is based on a belief about what is desirable
rather than on mere liking. A preference for an equitable rather than inequitable
distribution of rewards is a value

Female Youth and Value towards Health

The rapid increase of overweight and obesity especially in the younger

generation, in many low and middle-income countries due to inappropriate diet
and inactive lifestyle, foretells us overwhelming chronic disease burden in the
next 10 to 20 years, if no intervention is done. Among the Asians, obesity has
been linked with the metabolic syndrome like type-2 diabetes mellitus moreover
a study from India reported increasing prevalence of obesity and its associated
risk factors in an urban population

According to Kelli A. Cook, (2009) Health is an aspect of life that is

essentially one of the most important factors in basic human performance.
Humans suffer from many diseases and ailments that, in many cases, hinder their
functioning. Health contributes to general well-being and overall lifestyle. In

43
order for a person to enjoy a quality life, good health habits must be achieved
because basic health determines what a person can and cannot do.

There are several factors in a person’s lifestyle that can make youth
healthy or unhealthy. Basic diet and nutrition aids a person in many different
ways. Eating the correct amount of nutrients provided in the food groups is
essential for the body’s proper functioning

Sleep is another major aspect in a person’s health. Sleep is a natural state

for living beings when they are tired. Past research in the area of health and the
ability to perform concluded that for students who were deprived of sleep for 24
hours were “not only increasing their feelings of sleepiness during the day, thus
decreasing their ability to pay attention in class, but are also negatively affecting
their ability to perform on exams” (Pilcher & Walters,1997).

A person who is deprived of sleep cannot function properly because their

body has not been refreshed. Therefore if the body itself is tired then the person
cannot successfully complete their day-to-day functions because the body has not
been restored. If the body is tired then the mind is tired because our body
functions as a whole.

Female students in colleges have been found to be a population that does

not get as much sleep as the typical adult women population (Buboltz, Brown,
& Soper, 2001). This finding is important because it indicates that college
students do not take into account the repercussions of sleep deprivation. Some of
the repercussions may include inability to concentrate and a lower overall grade
point average in school

Trockel, Barnes, & Egget, (2000) in a study done about sleep length and
grade point average; it was found that female students with higher grade point
averages reported sleeping longer than those with lower grade point averages.
Kelly et al. (2001) categorized students according to self-report on a survey into
three groups which are short sleepers, average sleepers, and long sleepers. They

44
concluded that longer sleepers reported higher grade point averages than short
sleepers. Kelly et al. (2001) attributed this finding to decreased ability to focus
on schoolwork for short sleepers. Grade point average is a very important factor
to college students because this is the way that colleges determine a student’s
overall academic performance.

Exercise is another aspect that is important to a person’s health. A person

should participate in at least thirty minutes of moderate exercise daily
(Department of Health and Human Services & U.S. Department of
Agriculture, 2000). Exercise activities have been known to boost energy levels,
release tension, prevent illnesses, reduce the risk of heart disease, manage stress,
and help a person to sleep better (American Heart Association,2004).

A sample of female college students, found that most students did not
complete the daily recommended physical activity of thirty minutes per day
(Huang et al., 2003). A study of high school students’ health habits concluded
that students who did not engage in physical activity also had an array of other
unhealthy habits, such as poor diet, smoking, and low academic performance
(Pate, Heath, Dowda, & Trost, 1996). Also, students who engage in physical
activity had higher grade point averages, better relationships with their parents,
and used fewer drugs (Field, Diego, & Sanders,2001).

Exercise not only promotes good physical health but it also aids a
person’s psychological health. This aspect is important to a person’s cognitive
performance. While there have been studies which target the female college
student population dealing with health habits, there has not been much research
done to relate specific health habits with grade point average. The present study
examines the relationship between female students and the value they attach to
health specifically to see if there are any generalizations about the lifestyle of the
college population.

45
 Many of the studies referenced above indicate that female college students
do not take into account the seriousness of their health behaviors (Budd &
Preston, 2001; Pilcher & Walters, 1997). Also some of the above studies also
indicate difficulty in academic performance as a result of some unhealthy
behavior (Trockel, Barnes, & Egget, 2000; Kelly .W, Kelly.K, & Clanton,
2001). If basic health is not achieved then college students, especially female
students will encounter problems not only physically but mentally as well.

Cynthia.M.Ferrara (2009) stated that approximately 35% of all college

students are overweight or obese, with many at risk for weight gain during the
college years. Poor nutrition and physical inactivity contribute to the increased
risk of weight gain and prevalence of overweight and obese individuals in this
population. Exercise and nutrition professionals will play an important role in
the development and implementation of new policies and programs designed to
promote healthy eating and physical activity in college students.

Female Youth - Value towards Family

Medora et al., (2000) talk about Family life & Family Values as follows:
Adolescence and young adulthood are particularly stressful and traumatic stages
in the lives of Indian youths. In one way, they desire emancipation and liberation
from family but residing in the matrix of the extended family makes it difficult
for them to assert themselves and exhibit any independence in thought, action, or
behavior. Social changes are gradually occurring but arranged marriages are still
the norm, and dating generally is not allowed. Furthermore, sex and sexuality
issues are not openly discussed, sex education is not readily available,
interrelationships with the opposite sex are discouraged, and premarital sex is
frowned upon.

In the traditional Indian family, communication between parents and

children tends to be one sided. Children are expected to listen, respect, and obey
their parents. Generally, female youth do not share their personal concerns with

46
their parents because they believe their parents will not listen and will not
understand their problems.

In India the family is the most important institution that has survived
through the ages. India, like most other less industrialized, traditional, eastern
societies is a collectivist society that emphasizes family integrity, family loyalty,
and family unity.

Adolescence and young adulthood are particularly stressful and traumatic

stages in the lives of Indian female youths. In one way, they desire emancipation
and liberation from family but residing in the matrix of the extended family
makes it difficult for them to assert themselves and exhibit any independence in
thought, action, or behavior.

Female Youth- Value towards Career

Samuel O Salami (2001) in his study noted that the number of women
who are participating in labour force is increasing the world over. Although
women have increased their participation in science, mathematics and
technological careers in the last thirty,or more years, that participation is still
below parity when compared with the men. Farmer, Wardrop, Anderson and
Risinger(1995) say that it is apparent that the question is no longer whether
women participate in labour force. More relevant questions now are what types
of careers female youth choose and what factors influence their choices in the
light of evidence that most women are found in what could be described as
“feminine” occupations. Perhaps even more important questions are those
directed at students who are in the initial stages of their career development.
Information regarding the type of careers they choose, how they make their
career choices and what factors influence their choices could be useful to
researchers, counseling psychologists and practitioners who want to assist the
young women in expanding their career options.

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 Women have increasingly become more involved in the workforce
following World War II. Paid employment of women has shifted from primarily
traditional female-oriented jobs to more non-traditional, and previously male-
oriented careers. Women’s participation in the workforce has lead to the study of
career aspirations of women. Career aspirations are influenced by factors such as
gender, socioeconomic status, race, parents’ occupation and education level, and
parental expectations.

Adolescence would be an ideal time to study the career development of

young females, as many changes occur during this time that strongly influence
the formation of career aspirations and preferences (Watson et. al, 2002).

Family involvement is the extent to which the parents or any family

members are involved in the career plans of their daughters. This is through
giving or providing information to their children on the type of job they want to
pursue. It includes the extent to which the parents give encouragement,
responsiveness, approval and financial support in matters concerned with the
career plans of their daughters.

Research reports have shown that familial factors play important parts in
Asian Americans academic achievement and career aspirations. For example, it
has been reported that ,Asian Americans may not choose a career based on their
own interests or intentions but on the whole families decision (Leong et
al.,1993).

A number of other researchers have shown that family interactions were

significantly related to career decision making of female students such as
Blustein, Walbridge); and career aspirations (Leong, 1993; Salami, 2005; Uba
& Olaniyi, 1991).

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 Family socio-economic status is the combination of the participants’
parents’ educational and occupational status scores. A number of studies have
attested to the significant influence of family socio-economic status on the
students’ career choice. For example, it has been pointed out that lower levels of
parent education can retard adolescents’ career development. (DeRidder,1990)

Studies on the influence of socio-economic status on aspirations to enter

higher education revealed that a very strong relationship exists between family
socio-economic status and occupational choice Fergusson & Woodward(2000).
Most previous researchers lent support to the linkage between parents’ socio-
economic status and children’s career choice (Leong, 1993; Tang, Fouad &
Smith, 1999; Salami, 2001 & 2005).

Female youth and Value towards Religion

Value towards religion is the degree of favorableness or un favorableness

shown by individuals toward organized religion.

Gesinde.S(1986) states that although research on relation between

attitude towards religion and career choice is rather sparse evidence exists that
there are some jobs may be taken or rejected by some on the basis of attitude
towards religion.Religion in this refers to the way in which a group of people
deals with the supernatural. Religion in this sense is a general characteristic of
humanity: it is present in all peoples and tribes, even among people who consider
themselves atheist. Religion is one of the things that distinguish men from
animals. (Dona Daria, 2007)

Sakhi Athyal(1999) in her study on Youth, and Religion feels that most
religious activities seem irrelevant to the female youth. They would like to know
the meaning of religious traditions and would like to see changes in religion,
particularly their own religious communities. Many of them expressed concern

49
that worship services feel meaningless. These female youth are not internalizing
traditional ideas; rather, they are merely tolerating them. They do find some
indirect value in the symbols and liturgies of their religion but would like to be
taught what they mean.

The female youth in a study by Furrow and Wagener (2000) pointed to

mission trips and Christian music as influences on their faith, many were
concerned about the hypocrisy they perceived in adults. They yearned for parents
and religious leaders to live out their faith. They felt adults and most of the
religious leaders are not bothered about the issues important to young people.
They want more occasions to express the emotional aspects of their faith and
they want to learn more about other religions.

Female youth and Value towards Mass Media

In the last 50 years the media influence has grown exponentially with the
advance of technology, first there was the telegraph, then the radio, the
newspaper, magazines, television and now the internet. Mass media exposure is
an effective instrument to gain knowledge about the outside world. Media
exposes the youth population to important information and increases awareness
of health and family welfare issues, in addition to a variety of social issues. To
some extent, media exposure can compensate for a lack of education if there is
regular exposure to educational media messages.

The mass media (such as television, music), and in particular the new
media (such as the Internet) are important tools for spreading the global culture
to young people around the world; conversely, it can be used as a platform for
networking resistance. Researchers from Denmark, France, and Israel found that
as a result of the media-induced processes of globalization, young people in
those countries have a preference for transnational fiction and movie material

50
(particularly American “soapies”) as well as a new sense of transnational social
space provided by the Internet. (Sonia Livingstone,1998).

According to her, one of the paradoxes of the media’s Western cultural

influence is the tension between the homogenizing effect of a dominant culture
on diverse cultures, and the inherent individualism at the center of the Western
cultural model. This creates a push-and-pull effect of “look-alike” teenage role
models masking the ongoing struggle for individuality and identity that is at the
heart of youth.

Parasuraman.Sulabha,et al.,(2009) gives information on the exposure

of women and men youth to several types of media in India. According to them,
overall, 30 percent of women and 12 percent of men age 15-24 are not regularly
exposed to any media. The most common form of media accessed by both
women and men is television, followed by radio for women and
newspapers/magazines for men. The majority of youth (59 percent of women and
70 percent of men) watch television regularly. Gender differentials are evident
for each type of media. Consistent with the gender gap in literacy, the gender gap
is also very wide in exposure to print media. Only 27 percent of young women,
compared with 57 percent of young men, read a newspaper or magazine
regularly. Compared with the older cohort of persons age 25-49, exposure to
each medium of communication is higher among youth, particularly for men.

Almost all youth in the highest wealth quintile are exposed to some
media, whereas 68 percent of women in the lowest wealth quintile are not
exposed to any media. Exposure to media is much lower among rural than urban
youth. The difference is especially large for women. Media exposure is lower
among ever-married persons than among those who have never been married.

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Female Youth and Value towards Society

In industrialized societies, girls and young women have access to the

organized institutions of modern life -the economy, the State, formal education,
organized religion, professions, unions, mass-media forms of communication and
entertainment.
However, the private sphere also remains important to them, with its less
formal and emotionally more open networks of social relationships (marriage,
family, kinship, neighbourhood, community and friendship) that coexist with the
public sphere.

The Situation of Girls and Young Women World youth Report(2003)

explains Life opportunities for girls and young women vary in different parts of
the world, at times reflecting re convergence of “spheres” (the distinct worlds of
work, family and households, and education) separated from each other in
industrial societies. In all the Western countries studied, female youth tend to
move more easily between these spheres than do men. In most societies,
however, young women’s participation in the public sphere is still restricted. In
industrial societies the family, traditionally a female concern, is a household unit
of consumption that exists largely in the private sphere, whereas the arena of
material production, traditionally a male concern, is typically in the public
sphere.

According to D. Anderson (1991) Girls and young women in late-

industrial societies are portrayed as those most subordinated to the consumer
culture. The majority constructs their femininity according to popular culture;
women’s magazines and advertising directed at females tend to promote aspects
of narcissistic, pleasurable consumption as part of a woman’s image. In former
communist countries, prostitution has offered one way to obtain the money
necessary to participate in new consumer lifestyles. Throughout history, young

52
women have been scrutinized with regard to their attitudes, behavior, sexuality
and general conduct.

Girls have traditionally been perceived as less of a threat to social order,

being less likely to get into trouble on the streets, less involved in crime, and
subject to greater family control and authority at home. The involvement of girls
in delinquency and crime, though still less than that of boys, appears to have
increased, however. There is little information about the causes of girls’
violence. Some studies show that there are significant differences between girls
and boys with regard to displays of aggression and the perpetration of violent
acts. Lagerspetz et al.,(1994)

Studies by Helve (1993), has demonstrated that girls and boys perceive
the world differently. The formation of both identity and perceptions occurs
within, and is effected by, the gender framework. Many cultures regard “soft”
values as being feminine. The different values associated with the gender
stereotypes created by a patriarchal society are evident. School, peer groups and
commercial mass-media entertainment convey sexual stereotypes that shape the
viewpoints held by young people and manifest themselves in matters such as
career choices.

Female Youth and Value towards Politics

As the country debates the women's reservation bill, data on parliaments

across the world show that India, the largest democracy, lags much behind other
countries including its neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh when it comes to
participation of the fair sex in politics.
Times of India (April 28, 2012) narrates that women in India get
reservation or preferential treatments in education and jobs. Its opposers consider
this preferential treatment of women in India as discrimination against them in
admissions to schools, colleges, and universities. For instance, several law

53
schools in India have a 30% reservation for females. A segment of feminists in
India are strongly in favour of providing preferential precedence to women in
order to create a level playing field for all of its citizens. Since,
 There will be more women participation in politics and society.
 Reservation for women is expected to increase opportunity for women.

Women will avail 33% reservation thus after this bill is passed political,
social and economical condition of women is expected to improve drastically as
a result.With only 10.8 per cent of women representation in the Lok Sabha and
9.0 per cent in the Rajya Sabha, India ranks 99 in the world, according to the
comparative data by the Inter-Parliamentary Union, an organization that works
for promoting democracy, peace and co-operation among people in the world.

While the Indian democratic state is committed to the protection of

individual rights within the context of citizenship, a closer look at how it
operates for the women reveals that these rights are not accessible in the public
and private spheres in their full potential to all the women in India. Female
Students are the makers of modern India. The question whether female students
should be allowed to take part in politics has been wholly debated. Some
politicians, educationists and teachers think that the female students should be
given practical training in politics; being the future citizens of the country they
must get primary and practical knowledge of democracy.

There is a need to provide training in civics and political education for the
Indian female youth. This is to develop their interest and participation in civic
and political activities. In the light of this, the Indian governments have set aside
33 percent of its political posts for women in order to close the wide political gap
between men and women in the country.

Certain values in Indian societies have a negative effect on the

aspirations, education, roles and political participation of the female youth.

54
Gender stereotypes concerning the roles of male and female in India have great
impact on the participation of women in the political process.

Women issues were not taken up by parties in a serious manner nor

translated into programmes, policies and legislation nor were they mandated
specifically to address issues of women (Ranjana Kumari, 1994).

While the steady increase in the electoral participation and mobilization of

female youth in India has increased the visibility of women in the legislative
politics this has not happened in the exercise of executive and judicial power due
to their lack of presence in the decision making structures. From this perspective,
the important question is what are the benefits of democracy for women?
Electoral participation and quotas through affirmative action alone are not
enough to result in gender equity. (Malathi Subramanian, 2002)

Academic Achievement and Female Youth

Education, in its broadest sense, may be defined as a process designed to

inculcate the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to enable individuals to
cope effectively with their environment. Its primary purpose is to foster and
promote the fullest individual self realization for all people. Achieving this goal
requires understanding of commitment to the proposition that education is a
primary instrument for social and economic advancement of human welfare
(Verma,1990).

The world is becoming more and more competitive; quality of

performance has become the key factor for personal progress. Parents desire that
their children climb the ladder of performance to as high a level as possible. This
desire for a high level of achievement puts a lot of pressure on students, teachers,
and schools and in general the education system itself. In fact, it appears as if the

55
whole system of education revolves round the academic achievement of students,
though various other outcomes are also expected from the system.

Thus a lot of time and effort of the schools are used for helping students to
achieve better in their scholastic endeavors. The importance of scholastic and
academic achievement has raised important questions for educational
researchers. Such as, what factors promote achievement in students? How far do
the different factors contribute towards academic achievement? (Ramaswamy,
1990)

In our society academic achievement is considered as a key criterion to

judge ones total potentialities and capacities. Hence academic achievement
occupies a very important place in education as well as in the learning process.
Academic achievement is defined by Crow and Crow (1969) as the extent to
which a learner is profiting from instructions in a given area of learning i.e.,
achievement is reflected by the extent to which skill and knowledge has been
imparted to him. Academic achievement also denotes the knowledge attained and
skill developed in the school subject, usually designated by test scores.
Achievement is influenced by personality, motivation, opportunities, education
and training.

Hill and King (1995) argued that educating females yields far-reaching
benefits for girls and women themselves, their families’ and their societies in
which they live. The benefits of investing in human capital are especially
pertinent for women in developing countries where gender equity in education is
often lagging behind. Without educating women, national endeavours can be less
effective and the efforts of women are weaker. Equal opportunity of education
for both sexes is equally important.

56
 In a number of developing countries, the participation of women in
education is characterized by low enrolment and poor performance (Hertz et al,
1991; King and Hill, 1995)

The significant contribution of female education is expressed in terms of

economic, cultural and political aspect a country. Obanya (2005) stated that an
educated female is likely to become: a more competent and knowledgeable
mother, a more productive and better paid worker, an informed citizen, a self
confident individual and a skilled decision maker. Geiger (2002) indicated that
the benefits of education relates to more or less in all aspects of development.
Education empowers them to participate in the public and political life. The
potential benefits of education are always present but females’ education often
has stronger and more significant impact than males’ education King (1990)

Female Youth and Generation Gap

Investopedia defines Generation Gap as the “differences found

between members of different generations. More specifically, a generation gap
can be used to describe the differences in actions, beliefs, tastes, etc. between
members of younger generations when compared to members of older
generations”.

While generation gaps have been prevalent throughout all periods of

history, the width (differences) of these gaps have widened in the 20th and 21st
centuries, researchers designate the generation metaphor as the emotion of
characteristic conflicts between age groups, between historical movements and
ideas, and between didactic learning roles within each part of developing society.
An example of an emotion between conflicting parties appears in the form of
perception difference. The metaphor of generation can be applied to something it
does not literally denote. Some usage carries the analogy of ascribed identities
and some the analogy of assumed identities.

57
 Generation gap can be a frustrating one due to the lack of communication
between young and old, or a useful stretch of time that separates cultures within a
society, allowing them to develop their own character." From their position in the
family and with more life experience than younger family members,
grandparents are uniquely poised to see that differences between generations can
be positive for all those concerned. Adcox Susan(2009)in her article states that
the generation gap that was so in evidence during the 60s has resurfaced, but it is
not the disruptive force that it was during the Vietnam era,

According to a new study released by the Pew Research Center (2009)

different points of view about “a range of social and technological issues” have
created the widest generation gap between older and younger Americans since
the 1960s, the Associated Press reported. The presidential election in November
2009—which showed that 18- to 29-year-old voters chose Barack Obama by a
ratio of 2-to-1—also “highlights a widening age divide,” According to the study,
almost 8 in every 10 people—that’s 79 percent—perceive “a major difference in
the point of view of younger people and older people today,”
In the study, the Pew Research Center compared the 2009 poll with a
1969 Gallup Poll that had similar questions. In 1969, 74 percent of
respondents identified a generation gap. When CBS and The New York Times
repeated the question a decade later, only 60 percent of respondents perceived
the gap.

Generation gap is not that serious a problem if families can learn to sit
over dinner and talk or sit in the living rooms over a cup of hot comforting coffee
and talk the things out, ironing the difference and sharing the experiences.

When this communication barrier is transcended and the ice broken, the
problem does not remain that serious anymore. Talking it out calmly and coolly,
with the idea of sorting things out, changing for each other and changing for

58
better can be the most helpful instrument in bridging the generation gap. Family
outings, vacations, tours, to picnic-outings, often with the family etc can be
effective ways to initiate intimacy between parents and children. Watching
movie and discussing them, putting forth the different viewpoints can be a
beginning to inculcate the habit of a healthy dialogue between members of the
family. Such small things and steps can do wonders in initiating a healthy family
atmosphere and reducing friction between two generations that are right in their
own respects. Their only fault is that they are viewing the same object from
opposite directions. Age, time and experience or the lack of it, forces them to do
so.

Aspirations among Female Youth

The urban youth are mostly educated, organized in many forms and have
access to facilities and institution meant for youth services. Whereas, rural youth
are mostly illiterate, burdened with the needs of their own families, lack of
opportunities for organizing themselves to engage in constructive work and also
lack guidance for participation in development activities. Though rural youth
have different fields of activities, they have not been involved and motivated to
contribute to the development process. This is due to several reasons, such as,
lack of nationwide youth programmes, lack of an appropriate network for youth
organizations, lack of training and guidance, lack of inter-departmental or
sectorial coordination. All these factors largely contribute to rather unplanned
and forced migration of youth from rural areas to urban centers (Bhanu V.L,
2006)

At present, the female youths are having different needs, aspirations,

attitudes, habits and values of life. The development of personal, social,
economical and spiritual aspects of rural youth are possible only when their
needs, aspirations, attitudes, habits and values of life are recognized early and
guided properly.

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 Replications in the 1980s of earlier studies showed girls had broadened
their career preferences, yet their expectations for career attainment remained
low, especially for high status, traditionally male jobs (Wahl & Blackhurst,
2000). Recent studies disprove earlier findings and asserted that females
demonstrated an interest in a greater number of careers and displayed more
gender-role flexibility in their career aspirations than males
(Francis,2002;Mendez & Crawford, 2002). Jones and Womble, (1997)
revealed that female secondary students had more positive attitudes toward work
than males. However, Watson et.al,(2002) noted adolescent females were more
conflicted between their future careers and commitment to marriage and family.

Parents’ educational level has been positively related to aspirations of

youth (Mau & Bikos, 2000). Burlin (1976) stated that both parents’ education
level wielded a strong influence on career choices of their daughters. Signer and
Saldana(2001) noted the positive relationship between adolescent females’
career aspirations and their mothers’ educational achievement.

Jones and Womble (1998) found that students whose mothers completed
either a two-year or four-year postsecondary degree had higher perceptions of
work and career-related issues.

Women’s career aspirations have evolved steadily during the twentieth

century, resulting in their increased workforce participation rates. A multitude of
factors have influenced and inhibited women’s career aspirations and career
development over the years (Nieva & Gutek ,1981). The types of careers
women choose and factors influencing their choices are relevant issues to
examine, especially since most research reveals women continue to work in
lower-paying, traditionally female-oriented jobs (Rainey & Borders, 1997;
Watson et al., 2002).

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 Continued research on the lifelong processes of women’s career
aspirations and career development is necessary to explain their unique
occupational paths (Rainey & Borders, 1997 ; Schoon, 2001). Of equal
importance is the need to study female adolescents in the early stages of career
development, as aspirations are often crystallized during this time (Hellenga et
al., 2002). It is necessary to continue studying the career interests and career
development processes of women, as they will remain an important sector of
America’s workforce (Gutek & Larwood, 1987). Gaining insight into career
aspirations and career interests may also be useful in expanding career options
available to young women (Rainey & Borders, 1997).

Changing Student Expectations

It is clear to all who work in Higher Education that student expectations

have changed over the last three decades. These expectations are now of greater
complexity and a different order to those which might have applied in the past.
Universities now find themselves being pushed on the one hand to respond to
rising student expectations, while on the other there are fears that the
fundamental purpose of Higher Education could be distorted or even lost if
institutions go to far in the direction of placing Higher Education on a
commercial footing. It is interesting to reflect how student expectations have
changed over the past thirty years.

Expectation of students from Teachers

Schilling and Schilling (1999) capture well the broad idea that
expectations are vital to education. Tauber (1998) goes on to cite four factors
that teachers could use to advance higher expectations. A "climate" conducive to
learning must be created; this is often communicated non-verbally. Both
affective and cognitive "feedback" must be provided to learners. "Input" is
increased as teachers teach more to students of whom they expect more.

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"Output" is also increased as teachers encourage greater responsiveness from
students for whom they hold high-expectations.

Students attribute successes and failures to either changeable or

unchangeable factors (e.g., effort and ability, respectively), influenced by beliefs
and expectations that they pick up from, among others, their teachers. A "low
ability" student, who views failures as lack of ability and successes as luck, will
lose his motivation, feeling that there is little he can change to improve his
learning. The teacher, who makes similar attributions, will feel helpless to
intervene, believing that the student is not "cut out" for challenging academic
work.

THEORITICAL FRAME WORK

Attachment theory- Attachment theory developed from a combination of

psychoanalytic thinking and the study of behavior among nonhuman animals, or
ethology. John Bowlby, (1969) and his student Mary Ainsworth proposed that
the emotional bond, or attachment relationship, between parents and children
during the first few years could be used to predict a variety of later outcomes.
Using an observational paradigm called the Strange Situation; attachment
researchers have identified four primary types of attachment relationships, or
attachment styles: secure, anxious-avoidant, anxious-resistant, and disorganized.
Secure attachment styles are generally associated with more positive
developmental outcomes, while the two anxious attachment styles are associated
with different types of developmental problems.

The most useful part of this theory, however, is the idea that early
relationship patterns between parents and children can be used to predict later
outcomes and developmental processes, including self-esteem, romantic
relationship quality and mental health.

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 According to Hirschi ,(1969/2002), adolescents who are more securely
attached to their parents are less likely to be delinquent. Attachment to parents is
a critical component in developing a system of moral values and a conscience,
just as a child’s first exposure to a moral code is typically experienced through
socialization by parents (Grusec, 2006).

Thus, we may assume that female youth with secure attachments to their
parents are more likely to have better outcomes than those who have insecure
attachment relationships. This theory also suggests that parents are the main
source of socialization and moral development for youth during childhood.

However, what remains unclear is how moral values are affected by these
types of attachment relationships during early adulthood, when the young person
begins forming strong attachments to peers. Certainly, it can be debated whether
a particular attachment relationship, such as parents or peers, is more salient or
influential than another relationship. However, in the present study the researcher
derived inspiration from attachment theory to understand the value that female
youth have towards their family.

Behavioral /learning theories: Behavioral theories, in their many

formats, all describe ways in which children learn from their environments.
These theories are extremely important in understanding many aspects of social
development. One version of behaviorism, termed classical conditioning, is
about learned associations. Historic examples of classical conditioning are the
experiments of Ivan Pavlov (who trained dogs to salivate in response to a tuning
fork) and John Watson (who trained an infant subject named Little Albert to fear
rabbits). Classical conditioning includes the following key features:

1. Unconditioned stimulus (UCS): a stimulus (such as food) that naturally

provokes a reaction
2. Unconditioned response (UCR): a natural response to the UCS (such as
salivating)

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 3. Conditioned stimulus (CS): a stimulus (such as a tuning fork) that is
repeatedly paired with the UCS but that would not normally cause the
UCR
4. Conditioned response (CR): a learned response (such as salivating) to a
CS

Another type of behaviorism, called operant conditioning, is primarily

about the ways that environmental contingencies influence the likelihood of
behavior. Historic experiments by B. F. Skinner (who trained rats and pigeons to
press levers for a reward of food) and Martin Seligman (who trained dogs to
become helpless using electric shock as punishment) demonstrated that various
types of rewards and punishments could be used to influence whether a given
behavior would increase or decrease over time. More specifically, a reward
increases the likelihood of a behavior, and a punishment decreases the
likelihood of a behavior. This study found operant conditioning a good source to
relate to female students in colleges as certain rewarding behaviour could
increase their likely hood of developing certain lifestyle habits or values.

Behaviorists assert that the only behaviors worthy of study are those that
can be directly observed; thus, it is actions, rather than thoughts or emotions,
which are the legitimate object of study. Behaviorist theory does not explain
abnormal behavior in terms of the brain or its inner workings. Rather, it posits
that all behavior is learned habits, and attempts to account for how these habits
are formed.

In assuming that human behavior is learned, behaviorists also hold that all
behaviors can also be unlearned, and replaced by new behaviors; that is, when a
behavior becomes unacceptable, it can be replaced by an acceptable one. A key
element to this theory of learning is the rewarded response. The desired response
must be rewarded in order for learning to take place (Parkay & Hass,2000).

Using behaviorist theory in the classroom can be rewarding for both

students and teachers. Behavioral change occurs for a reason; students work for

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things that bring them positive feelings, and for approval from people they
admire. Thereafter the lifestyle of female students in terms of their material
culture and values might have been modified by their previous experience of
approval and disapproval from the family and peers.

Hence lifestyle modification is an expression of a behavioural change.

Female students, especially living in hostels are prone to lifestyle modification

Social Learning Theory (also known as observational learning): In the

mid-twentieth century, a researcher named Albert Bandura began research on a
third type of behaviorism. According to this theory, an individual need not
experience a contingency directly in order to learn from it. That is, people can
learn indirectly by watching others model behaviors and observing the
contingencies those models experience. When one person observes another
person experiencing a punishment in response to a behavior, the observer
generally becomes less likely to engage in that behavior. On the other hand, if
one person observes another person being rewarded in response to a behavior,
the observer will generally become more likely to engage in that behavior.

Social learning theory/behavioural theory was used to form a framework

of this study in order to be able to understand the pattern of lifestyle among
female youth in colleges as learning theory says that persons learn or adapt
certain behavior and way of life by watching /imitating certain persons or figures
that inspire them or through trial and error method which will make them more
acceptable among their friends and society

The above theories gave the researcher a better understanding about the
need & importance of the present value system, life style, academic achievement,
expectations & aspiration among the youth especially female students. The
researcher was able to formulate hypotheses keeping in mind the contribution
that the above theories gave in developing the concepts surrounding the title of
the study “Life Style, Values, Academic Achievement among Female Students in

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Colleges”. These theories also aided in deriving the findings from the problem
stated in the study.
Problem formulation

Based on the theories discussed the problem formulation about female

students in colleges is presented here. Generally college students are known for
their lifestyle. This is truer with female students in colleges, like every individual
they also have value towards many aspects in life which may be influenced by
socialization, what is their value towards certain important aspects like health
family, career etc, becomes research questions.

What female students do for their academic achievement? And in which

stage of their life are interesting aspects of this research.

Being part of the younger generation, they may have generation gap with
their parents. But being female students who are usually supposed to be a replica
of their mother may not maintain a lengthier generation gap, so this aspect is also
taken up for this study. In the present day circumstance we talk about individual
development which is closely associated with aspirations and expectations
weather female students have aspirations and expectations as part of their
development is another research question.

So do female students have aspirations and expectations are questions

posed in the problem formulation. Several studies on female youth have been
carried out in the field of sociology, psychology, medicine, economics but it
appears there is a lack of emphasis on the manner in which the concept of
lifestyle, values, academic achievement etc is related to the condition of female
students in colleges

All these aspects are pointed out in the diagram below and the study on
female students is tested with specific hypothesis developed by the researcher.

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 The above stated problem is presented in the form of a diagram:

FEMALE STUDENTS IN COLLEGES

Life style of Value Academic Generatio Aspirations

female students towards: Achievement n Gap &
s
Health Expectation

2.Hypotheses 2 hypotheses 2 hypotheses s

Family
1 hypothesis
Career

Religion

Mass media

Society

Politics

13 hypotheses

As stated in the diagram the present study focuses on studying female

students in colleges by giving emphasis to their lifestyle and values. Most of the
hypotheses are meant for these purpose i.e Understanding female students in
terms of their academic achievements, generation gap, aspirations & expectations
or the other related objectives of this study. Few hypothesis are developed and
tested for this purpose.

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