CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF LITERATURE

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Social scientists unanimously lay stress on the importance of environmental effects on

behaviour, however they have divergent opinions regarding the conceptualization and
measurement of environmental impacts because of the uncertainty regarding methods of
measuring the relative importance of numerous perceived objective aspects of environment.
Psychologists, who lay stress on traits and tendencies in assessing personality and behaviour, are
also willing to admit the limitations of their explanations and have laid stress on the significance
of interaction between personal preferences, likes, behaviour and values, with the given
environmental stimuli which an individual confronts.

A literature review is attempted on generation gap and how the joint and nuclear family exert
influence on the behavioural patterns of three generations. This chapter focuses on whether
perception improvement can help reduce the existent generation gap and also provide an outline
on how families can create an environment that is conducive to lessen the communication gap, as
well as facilitate the achievement of familial goals and objectives. The general purpose of this
study was to document generation gap existing in parents and adult-children; youngsters and the
elderly; and people living within joint and nuclear families. The primary goal is to review
pertinent information on generation gap and its effects on the individual behaviour in Indian
families.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Social scientists and various other disciplines have stressed the importance of social, physical
environment and interaction or behavioural patterns of an individual to explain the phenomena of
their interest. A forceful, multidimensional view of interaction of the individual emerged during
the sixties.

In-depth studies have been conducted by eminent scholars and thinkers on the existent
generation gaps; the probable causes; the types of discernible gaps; and how these gaps might be
bridged. The views of some of these scholars, is presented briefly as follows:

Painter and Levine (2000), however, when they examined educational outcomes for teenage
children of such parents, found no prior poor performance.

The lack of unanimity regarding the effect of family structure on children’s performances and
outcomes is striking. Researchers do, however, believe that living with a single-parent or a step-
parent is related with poor outcomes for children.

Biblarz and Raftery (1999) show that the correspondence between family structure and
children’s achievements decrease considerably, as more controls for family background are
added.

Kennethkeniston (1968) opined that the American youth was “turned off”’ by the American
society. It was a generation that had proclaimed the highest values but in reality failed to live up
to them, as evident in the poverty, inequalities and injustice witnessed in the richest nation of the
world.

Rose (1968) observed the negative effects of a sub-culture on lives and behavioural patterns of
aged.

Shanas (1968) focused on the phenomena of segregation on the basis of age and the attendant
problem of behaviour.

Fryer (1969) The new generation is dismayed at the discrepancy between the society and its
own values. The radical younger generation is out to implement the values which their parents
only proclaimed.
Nord, W. (1972) laid stress on the role of the pattern of behavioural exchange between family
members.

Hochschild (1973) studied role of residential settings in facilitation of friendship & sense of
community among older people.

Yomans F. Grant (1973) tried to correlate socio- economic stratification relationship with value
development.

Hagestad (1975) studied the ascertaining of role achievement – ascribing in adulthood.

Tavakoli (1998) proposed that student movements represent the anger felt by the son towards
the father expressed outwardly in a hostile manner. The conflicts between the young and the old
have become disproportionate and are especially evident in the student world.

Dev E Jothy (2000) believes that younger generation is, to a large extent, responsible for elderly
loneliness.

Sanghai Star (2002) suggested managing generation gap with tolerance between younger and
older generation and resistance to new technology as primary sources of management.

John Osborne (1957) in “Look Back in Anger” highlights the father’s failure to understand his
son and the changing times.

Ghazi Nejad (2003) expressed her difficulty in choosing what to say and what not to say to her
children, as a parent.

Moayedfar (2004) discussed psychological climate for persons and saw the effect of climate on
value judgments.

Abedini (2005) observed that the 1990s generation gap is quite different from that of the earlier
generations and it features a mutual contempt between the younger generation and the middle-
aged.
Pahlevan (2006) studied organisation of age in relation to demography, technology, economic
and political development and on the basis of this study, discussed the effect of role on value
development.

Ahmadi (2009) observed that changes are being brought about in a shorter span of time.
Changes in economic processes, in population, health, education, professional training affects the
outlook of the youngsters toward the world, which generates sharply conflicting demands within
themselves. Those sections of society that feel culturally and economically inadequate in
assimilating such types of changes, find themselves under visible stress and conflicts.

Haghighatian and Ghafari (2010) propose that conflicts and resultant agitations are initiated by
issues which are purely local and often insignificant in character; as in Indian universities
lowering of admission norms or attendance requirements of examination, etc.

Razeghi (2010) refers to the tension produced by economic processes like change in economic
resources, change in population, health, education, professional training, culture, changes in
administrative and governmental policies, etc., all exert influence on the society, resulting in
sharply conflicting valuations of individuals. Proliferation of consumer goods and unchecked
exposure to radio, television, international press and other agencies of mass communication
which provide every kind of information to the young and impressionable minds with never
ideas, new styles and values, substantially increase intergenerational conflicts.

Abuli-Zadeh (2010) The demographic aspect of intergenerational gap is due to population

percentage increase of youth group.

Janali Zadeh and Soleimani (2011) consider lower educational status of parents as also a cause
of youth unrest because such parents fail to understand the inclinations and aspiration of the
youth. Such parents may not be able to act as models for behavioural conduct for the younger
generation resulting in the decline of parental authority and parental influence. Family is rapidly
relegating the socialising functions to more formal agencies of education like television,
computers and the peer groups. Today’s Indian parents try to impose their own views and ideas
on the youth, not having been able to outgrow the traditional role of expecting unquestioned
obedience and submission to the authority of the elders. Parents, who are occupationally inferior,
minimise their chances of playing role models whom their children may emulate. Motivational
gap has been a cause of intergenerational gap, where the values and inherent aspirations of the
younger generation are in direct conflict with those of older generation.

Robert, (2012) suggested that the modern scientific inventions have affected the society in a
radical manner. The entire fabric of social relationships has undergone drastic changes and
generated new ideologies in the place of traditional ones.

Modernisation is looked upon as a process of adopting the modern values and modern style of
living. It is a change in the cultural, moral, and ethical ideals adopted by the new generation
which is in sharp contrast to food habits, style of dressing, speaking styles, preferences, ideas,
values, recreational and social activities of the previous generation. Science and technology are
given great importance in the process of modernization.

According to K. Davis (1940) The adolescent stage is marked by “conflict, evasion and deceit.”
For the parents toleration is impossible; for the adolescents subjugation is not possible. The
parent-youth conflict is thus seen as inevitable due to the following three factors: the basic birth-
cycle distinction between parent and child; the diminishing rate of socialisation with the
onslaught of maturity; and the resultant intrinsic dichotomy between parents and children in the
physiological, sociological and psychological planes of behaviour. A conflict thus arises between
the generations in relation to the family expectations and performance.

Bossard J (1996) says, “Nature of such pressures are manifest in families, where the parents are
engaged in occupations of high status and where the parent is highly conscious of his position. A
tremendous pressure is placed on the young adolescent to meet up to the performance standards
set out before him. This is also, he adds, in relation to families of lower strata and very strongly
prominent in professions such as teaching, medicine etc..

When adolescents develop new idealism the conflicts begin in families. Hence Farnham M.F.
(1951) said that, “his new idealism is intense and often rigid and uncompromising. The notions
of justice and injustice, loyalty and treachery, devotion and inconsistency, love and hate, fair
play and dishonesty all stand and in violent contrast and with great force”. Further he said that
this is the time of absolute right and absolute wrong. Compromise is abhorrent. There will be
complete intolerance for anything that violates the ideals and principles to which the child is now
committed.

Gousgounis, N. (1994) studied the relation between parental influence and adolescent sexual
behaviour and attitudes. It was observed that parents do not influence some important aspects of
attitudes on sexual matters. Intra family communication has been associated with accurate
knowledge of sexual issues. A generation gap seems to exist more for young boys than girls.

Kling, Z. (1995) said that for the new generation, a discernible structural gap in family life, was
the effect of electronic media exerting a major influence on family socialisation.

Wechter S. (1983) noted that various conflicts and tensions emerge within the family system as
adolescents attempt to distance themselves from their families of origin.

Hoffman and Weiss (1987) and Schwardz and Suroff (1979) attributed poor college adjustment
of the children to excessive family conflict.

Siahpoush (2014) listed the various theories on generational gap as below:

 Figure: Gist of Theories on Generational Gap

REVIEW RELATED TO PERCEPTIONS OF TENSIONS BY GENERATION,

GENDER, AND AGE

A study conducted on the influence of family environment on the child’s academics found that
the most crucial factor in making a pupil successful academically is home environment (Gilford,
1997). Parveen (2006), relating the family environment to the personality and academic
achievements of the students, noted a direct relation between home environment and
performance and concluded that family environment affects the personality and academic
achievements of the child. Asia (2008) explored a different dimension of the effects of home
environment. She was of the view that family structure exerts enormous impact on the
achievement patterns of the adult. She studied the impact of joint and nuclear family systems on
the academic achievements of the adult and concluded that there was a perceptible relationship
between family system and academic achievements. Qaiser, Hassan, Shakir and Shagufta (2012)
also noted the influence which the structure of the family casts on the academic performance of
the students. But they studied the family structure in terms of its size and number of children and
recommended that small family size, along with participation of the parents, enhances the child’s
performance.

UNJSF (nd) presented the following model of focus on generational gap:

 Figure Characteristics of various Generations

Aneesa, Najma and Noreen (2013) observed the effects and implications of family dynamics on
the development of adolescents. They proposed that family communication supports good family
functioning. They correlated family communication with and family satisfaction among the
adolescents. They concluded that family satisfaction enhances academic achievements.

According to K. Davis (1940) the stage of adolescence is a stage of conflict, elusion and
deception. For most parents toleration is not possible, and for the mass of adolescents
subjugation is not possible. He said that the parent-youth conflict is unavoidable and is the result
of three factors:

The basic birth-cycle differences between parent and child,

The decreasing rate of socialization with the coming of maturity, and
The resulting intrinsic differences between parents and children in the physiological,
sociological and psychological planes of behaviour.

There again arises conflict between the generations so far as the family expectations and
performance is concerned. Therefore Bossard J (1996:222) says that the parent’s occupation
exerts tremendous pressure upon the child to measure up to the level of family expectations and
family performance. Such pressures are particularly manifest in families, where the parents are
engaged in occupations of high status. Such pressures are palpably strong in those cases where
the parent is highly conscious of his position. He proposed that when adolescents develop new
idealism the conflicts begin in families.

Farnham M.F. (1951) felt that, the new idealism of the youth is intense and often inflexible and
uncompromising. The ideas of what is right and what is wrong, devotion and incompatibility,
love and hate, honesty and dishonesty are all in violent contrast to the old ways, and present with
great intensity. He added that this is the time of ‘totally right’ and ‘totally wrong’. Compromise
is repugnant and there is complete intolerance for anything that opposes the ideals and principles
to which the child is now committed.
Jacobson R. and Others (1975) in their study tested the existence and universality of the
generation gap empirically through a comparative intra family study of fathers and their college
children. They concluded that the generation gap is apparently not a ubiquitous, universal family
characteristic.

Gousgounis, N. (1994) in the study evaluated relations concerning parental influence and
adolescent sexual behaviour and attitudes.
The study reveals that parents do not influence some important aspects of attitudes, as toward
abortion. On the contrary, intra family communication has been associated with accurate
knowledge of sexual issues. A generation gap seems to exist more for young boys than girls.

Kling, Z. (1995) said that the electronic media with its influence on family socialization for the
younger generations, created a sort of structural gap in family life.

Wechter S. (1983) noted that as adolescent children mature and attempt to distance themselves
from their families of origin, various conflicts and tensions emerge within the family system.

Hoffman and Weiss (1987) and Schwardz and Suroff (1979) noted that excessive family
conflict resulted in poor college adjustment of the children.

REVIEW RELATED TO TENSION IN THE PARENT AND ADULT CHILD

RELATIONSHIP
Very broadly speaking, interpersonal tensions are maladjustments experienced in social ties.
Tensions may therefore, cover the wide spectrum from minor irritations to a visibly evident
conflict. The developmental rift or schism, and the developmental stake hypotheses, provide a
useful framework for comprehending reasons for existent tensions in the parent and adult-child
relationship across the stages of life. According to the developmental stake hypothesis, parents,
rather than the adult-children, place their emotional stake in the relationship and this generational
difference remains consistent during the entire life time. (Bengtson & Kuypers, 1971; Rossi &
Rossi, 1990; Shapiro, 2004).
(Clarke et al., 1999; Fingerman, 1996; Morgan, 1989; Shaw et al., 2004; Talbott, 1990)
Qualitative studies have given detailed descriptions of issues of tension and conflicts in the
parent and adult-child relationship, pointing to the fact that tensions are common and cover a
wide range of issues.. The focus of these studies was primarily to describe existing tensions
between adults and their parents, briefly touching on the theoretical explanations of why tensions
occur or the intensity of these issues. No detailed reasons are, however, provided on how
perceptions of tensions differ within, or between families, or what implications these tensions
have upon the quality of relationship.

Clarke (1999) found the following typology of Conflicts and Tensions between older Parents and
Their Adult Children

Table: Typology of Conflicts and Tensions between older Parents and Their Adult
Children
REVIEW RELATED TO PERCEPTIONS OF TENSIONS BY GENERATION, GENDER
AND AGE

Rossi & Rossi, (1990) Three factors that are particularly prominent in the parent and adult-child
relationship are generation, gender, and age. Developmental rift and the resultant conflicts or
tensions arising from them, may differ in the structural and developmental contexts. Owing
mostly to variations in developmental needs and investment in the relationship, parents and
adult-children may have dissimilar perceptions of tension issues. Clarke and his colleagues
(1999) found that adult children reported more unease regarding communication and interaction
style of interaction or relationship tension, as compared to other matters.

Clarke and his colleagues (1999) discovered that parents exhibited more tensions regarding the
habits and lifestyle and habits of their adult-children - their health related issues and how they
spend their time and money - than other topics of tension. As a matter of fact, parents often
expect their adult children to take up jobs, secure financial independence, marry, and have
children. The well-being of parents often depends, to a very large extent, on their children’s
success in these matters (Ryff, Lee, Essex, & Schmutte, 1994).

Fingerman & Pitzer, (2007) Parents report more acute individual tensions than their adult
children, since they exhibit intense desires for their children to achieve independence and to
attain adult status, enabling them to care for themselves. A large body of the research on parent
and adult-child tensions has focused on the mother-daughter bond or, when including fathers and
sons, has not examined the conclusions drawn, separately based on gender. However perceptions
of tensions and conflicts may differ by gender. Tensions may be deeper and more severe with
mothers or daughters than with fathers or sons.

Fingerman, 2001; Smetana, Daddis & Chuang, (2003) The mother-daughter relationships tend
to be more emotionally powerful and intense involving closer bonding and conflict. Mothers also
tend to have more closeness and resultant tensions and conflict with their children, than do
fathers (Collins & Russell, 1991).
OTHER WRITERS REVIEWS ABOUT FAMILITIES INTERGENERATIONAL
RELATIONS , EXTENDED FAMILY ETC

Maciver (1984) found social beings establish wider and profounder relationships with one
another, in which they become more bound up with and more dependent on one another, in
which they develop the sense of their obligation and responsibility towards others in which they
grow more perceptive of the personality for themselves and of others and build up the complex
structure of nearer and wider associations”. It is through the process of socialisation that man
feels fulfilled within society. Bogurdus said socialization as “the process of working together, of
developing group responsibility, of being guided by the welfare needs of others”. Socialisation
represents the development of the mental faculties, physical body, attitude, perspective,
behaviour and so forth. Thus, broadly speaking, it is “the process of inducting the individual into
the social world”.

Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, as cited in Diwan & Kumar, 1984
assumed Indian society, members of the family assume responsibility for care of the elderly. A
legal provision allows the elderly people to claim maintenance from their children, if they have
no resources of their own. However, even if children do not fulfill their duty, few parents go to
court to claim maintenance from their children. A child who grows up in a joint family has a
number of individuals who function as parents, in them, he sees many adult figures with whom
he can identify. In these families, due to a child being overprotected and sheltered, a “self/non-
self segregation is hampered”. In a nuclear family, there are less persons and hence a limited
number of adult models to follow. As a result, the child develops a strong sense of personal
bonding with the parents, “with a greater scope of developing clear-cut self-identity” (Sinha,
1984).
Mullatti, (1995) argued that in matrilineal and matrilocal cultures, patriarchy prevails where the
power lies in the brother’s hands, and not with the woman.

Kapadia,(1966) Modernisation has resulted in some typical forms of changes arising in the
social structural set-up.

Durkheim (1933) has resulted Individualistic trends in behaviour are the result of the unique
personality characteristics like motives, interests, values and traits of the social actors. “Patters of
social order possess a unity that is always greater than sum of their component parts”

Sinha (1971) opined that perceptual processes “differences have begun to creep into the process
of categorization and evaluation of people and events along the generation lines. From attitudinal
point of view the old generation had favourable attitude towards religion and unfavourable
towards science, but it was just reverse for younger generation. From the point of belief, ideas
and ways of behaviour, young and older generations have difference set of beliefs, concepts and
ways of behaviour which are not like their own. From conflict point of view intergeneration gap
varies on dimensions of mild disapproval; and resentment to acute tensional differences and
overt conflict. Generation gap is a sort of repudiation and rejection of adult authority.

Femer (1969) observed the moral de-authorization of older generation by younger generation.
From Literary point of view “generation gap is a sort of failure of a father to understand the
changed times” (John Osborne 1957). The anthropologists characterized this intergeneration
difference very aptly. Radchiff Brown calls it the “disjunction between proximate generations”.
Freud being a psychologist explained this phenomenon in terms of “Oedipus myth” depicting the
situation of ambivalence between father and son. According to Mike Mansfield “In my younger
days I used to blame the older generation for the trouble they got us into. Now here I am the
older generation and the trouble is still with us”. Weive noted that there always seem to have
been generation gaps, but that the nature of the gap seems to have varied from one historical
period to another. In fact, however, all generation gaps share many similarities, for example, the
younger generation always appear to be defying (either actively or passively) the entrenched
power of the older generation.

Prasad (1973) in Indian context of generation gap observed that traditional social structure is
quite different as compared to the modern social structure. Therefore older people and young
people may have different meaning patterns.

This search attracted the attention of some social scientists to look into the matter seriously in
order to explain variables of group analysis and measurement of environment, for scientists are
“essentially puzzle-solvers, whose paradigms differentiate between puzzles that are interesting
and solvable and those that are not”. Although, in the opinion of Kuhn: “scientists are to be
isolated from problems reducible to puzzle form because at times they do not possess the
solution to problem”

Kuhn, Thomas (1970) found that problems which are socially very significant, always attract
the attention of social scientists. Any changes that occur in society create instability, despite the
fact that society does not change abruptly, but gradually - with the changes occurring at an
unconscious level - so smoothly and slowly, that they are not even recognised and do not attract
immediate attention of persons. The generation gap starts when the rate of society changes and
speeds up dramatically. However, “the endogenous acceleration mechanism is not the product of
the local social system. But it is the product of the conflict between native – social system with
cultural and mental system that originated from the West” (Aghajari, 2003). It is the outcome of
two or three successive generations gradually moving away from each other, in terms of physical
space, emotional ties, and social values, creating a new situation in what is termed “generational
ruptures. This situation “prevails in teenagers and young people trying to disrupt last ties of
dependency between their parent or adult generations, and often in this way, they behave with
defiance and rebellion”.

Sharafi, (1998) While keeping in mind the altered social and economic face of Indian social
fabric, and considering the period of renewing social relationships within the family, also bearing
in mind the fact that the Iranian society has witnessed different and big evolutions such as Indian
revolution and imposed war in the current decades, renewing social relationships, we ask
whether or not, it is correct to think about the generation gap among generations or not? Existing
approaches to the subject of generational relations have numerous and varied aspects, so that “we
can illustrate the social, political, economic, cultural and cognitive gaps...community in the
forms of such gaps between the tradition and the modernity, the gap between the rulers and the
people, the gap between rich and poor, the gap between the dominant discourse and the spirit of
the times, the gap between demand of new generation and old generation”.

Tajik, (2003) found that a family – whether in the most savage surroundings or in the most
sophisticated setting – typically consists of father, mother, their offspring, and exists in every
single community.

Bachofen, the evolution from ‘hetaerism’ to ‘monogamy’ and from ‘mother right’ to ‘father
right’ takes place, particularly among the Greeks”. Bachofen gives the example of Oresteia of
Aeschylus as a dramatic depiction of the struggle between the declining mother right and the
rising and victorious father right in the Heroic age. For the sake of her lover, Clytemnestra kills
her husband Agamemnon, on his return from the Trojan War. Orestes, her son, takes revenge of
his father’s murder by killing his mother. The demonic defenders of mother right, Erinyes pursue
him since matricide is regarded as the most odious and deplorable of all the crimes a man could
commit.

According to Gerda Lerner, Patriarchy, women’s issues, which are the concern of feminists in
the western world, focus on themes such as identity, job equality and sexism; in India, however,
it is a question of the woman’s very survival.

Meena Shirwadker observes that women are beginning to take independent decisions in areas
formerly inaccessible to them. They have become conscious of their rights. As a natural
consequence, dramatic changes have transpired in the role played by the husband, and the altered
expectations of the wife. Mutual readjustments need to be made, creating new tensions within the
family and home.

Several studies have emphasized the effects of these forces on the family structure and
functions. The Indian family is also gradually changing itself to ‘fit’ into the technological new-
age social structure. Causes of Disintegration: After a brief discussion of the traditional, evolving
perspectives of familial structures, what follows is an account of the various causes for
disintegration of family through the ages. From the very early times, migration seems to be the
most pressing reason for the disintegration of family. Work compels married men to migrate
singly and be away from home for long spans of time. India too, has a long history of men
migrating singly for work, leaving behind their wives and children with the extended family.

According to radical feminists, the family is ‘symmetrical’ and both husband and wife have joint,
complementary roles, which makes the family a functional institution. Anne Oakley, a radical
feminist, says: The creation of the housewife role is a social construct and is not inevitably
linked to the female role. The family in general and the joint family in particular,
provide opportunities for the study of human group behaviour. Mulk Raj Anand, R.K.
Narayan, Raja Rao, Bhabhani Bhattacharya, Manokar Malgonkar, Kamala Markandaya,
Anita Desai, Nayantara Sahgal, Arun Joshi, Chaman Nahal, Salman Rushdie, Namita
Gokhale, Amitav Ghosh are among Indo-English novelists who assiduously explore Indian
themes. Some of the themes dealt by them pertain to the impact of the western world on Indian
life and values; social changes and social justice; the inner life; nostalgia and introspection, quest
for identity, striving for individuality etc. The thematic content of the novels by some eminent
male writers like Arun Joshi, Bhabhani Bhattacharya, R.K. Narayan, Raja Rao and Mulk Raj
Anand revolves around the family.

Mulk Raj Anand’sGauri (1981) highlights how women are exploited. Here, the disintegration
occurs because of the mother-in-law and the husband’s chauvinistic attitude. Menon
Marath’s Wound of Spring (1960) is a study of the disintegration of a traditional matriarchal
Nayar family. Women and Family: Women writers have been preoccupied with familial themes,
and since the major focus of this thesis is on identifying the female perspective of the family, it
becomes mandatory to deal with this aspect. Here it is important to note the vital difference
between male and female conceptualizations of family. While family provides “a secure ground
for self-assertion, affiliation, as well as authority for male writers, it invariably evokes a sense of
patriarchal domination and discrimination in women writers”. In the portrayal of women, by
women novelists, conflict between tradition and modernity occupies a place of prominence. Very
few women writers have dealt with Hindu, Muslim and Parsi households. Venu Chitale’s (Mrs.
Leela Khare’s)

In Transit (1950) is a story of three generations of a Poona-based, Brahmin joint family, living
between the two world wars. Rama Mehta’s Inside the Haveli (1977) is an absorbing/ account of
Rajasthan Purdah life. Two studies of Muslim life are Zeenath Futchally’s Zohra (1951) with the
princely state of Hyderabad in the Gandhian age as its setting, and Attia Hosain’s Sunlight on
a Broken Column (1961), a nostalgic account of aristocratic life in pre-partition Lucknow. Peric
Bharucha’s Fire Worshippers (1968), is a novel presentation of Parsi life. Ruth Prawer Jhabvala
is a European writer who has lived in India. She successfully portrays a realistic picture of some
aspects of the average Indian women, especially women of Hindu households where the joint
family system is very much alive.

Passion(1986) the idea of sending girls to college stirs the wave of conflict in Lalaji’s family -
between the old and the young, between tradition and modernity. Jhabvala’s preoccupation is a
portrayal of the predicament of individuals in their relationship to the family, to the social group,
in a manner which distinctly reflects her Indianness. Another dimension of the Indian familial
setting which Jhabwala presents powerfully with an innate understanding and sensitivity, is the
experience of European women married to Indians or of Indian women married to Europeans -
the former confronted with the inevitability of living in a joint family.

Anita Desai’s Clear Daylight (1980) acquaints the reader with the unique problems confronting
a family Modern day women writers are now expressing themselves freely and boldly and on a
variety of themes. In all these novels, the woman is shown striving towards wanting to live a
more authentic life than the one thrust upon her by society. The dissertation, titled Woman and
Family in Recent Indian Feminist Fiction in English: A Select Study aims at discovering how
individual freedom is circumscribed by family-imposed restrictions and the subordination it
subjects women to, by upholding patriarchal values. It attempts to discern whether women are
able ‘to strike a balance between the claims of selfhood and the pressures of family’. In order to
comprehend the modern trend of family relationships and to understand the significance
accorded to the family as an institution in India, some novels published around the year 2000
have been chosen for the purpose of study. The selection of works by women writers is
intentional. It is hoped that the female perspective will provide a healthy alternative to the
patriarchal concept of family that has in the past proved not only disadvantageous, but distinctly
injurious to the interests of women by denying them the status exclusively accorded to men. In
this context, Githa Hariharan’s The Thousand Faces of Night (1992), Arundhathi Roy’s The God
of Small Things (1997), Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters (1998), Shashi Deshpande’s A
Matter of Time (1999), Anita Nair’s Ladies Coupé (2001), and Jaishree Misra’s Ancient
Promises (2002) are selected for the purpose of study. The God of Small Things, Difficult
Daughters, and A Matter of Time present three generations of the same family respectively. The
lives of six women ensnared in the family web are narrated in Ladies Coupé. The story of three
women belonging to different generations is the central theme in The Thousand Faces of Night.
Seligman (1975) has found that helplessness resulting from lack of control is an important factor
in such psychiatric disorders like depression and schizophrenia. The significance of emotional
problems for suicide in senior citizens is highly underestimated. Studies have shown that eighty
percentages of senior citizens who committed suicide were suffering from depression and
seventy five percent from physical ailments.

Henry (1994) found that social disengagement occurs during old age. The marital dissolution of
the senior citizens also has a strong bearing on their socio-economic well-being. It is frequently
reported that married persons tend to enjoy higher social participation compared with unmarried
ones and widows/widowers.

Shrut (1958) found that institutionalized elderly had stronger fear of death compared to others
who live in families. Moreover, it was unmarried and widows, who were more in institutions.
Again, majority of the aged derived satisfaction only when they were with their family and,
therefore, institutionalization was not beneficial to the elderly.

Weiner (1971) had an opinion that generation has it’s individual thinking of doing work and
taking decisions. Several studies reviewed and he focused on behavior of Young and adult
people in a family . Their working according to interest area and never think about pros and cons
, fair devotion play and dishonesty of particular decisions.

Regan and Dick (1975) He argued & discussed large gap between parents and children views.
They develop their new ideologies , loyalty and treachery and try to reduce conflict, often rigid
in the family like inconsistency, love and hate, all stand and in violent contrast and with huge
effort , new idealism is intense have treated the communication gap as a myth Regan and Dick
(1975) have founded the family gap as a myth. They contentd that the generation gap is high
between the rest worlds of young , adults and children rather than between Mother-father and
children. When young develop new idealism the disputes started in families his / her new
ideology is deep and often fixed and non - compromising. The intents of judgement and
injustice, inconsistent and loyalty, and treachery, loving , caring and hurting, fair devotion and
not honest all reflects in violent contrast and with huge dealt . Now a days modern education has
broadened the generation gap due to social and value changes have indemnify the role of the
aged as keepers and transformers of wisdom and culture.

Singaram .L (1994) founded the notions of aged in joint & nuclear family. The research
examined that the determinants started upto & above the age of 60 , scarcity of monetary status,
physical inactivity and fully dependent had the features for the thought of old age. Gap in
Communication , makes agressive adult generation, negligence which frames the others have the
basic family obstacles bounded by the old people. When discussing the influence of social
system on the different aspect of conflict , different sources of confliction in young arose both
from the thorough instruction of the familial group in the form of maintaining etiquettes from the
inevitable emotional tension placed on the children by his attitudes.

Landis, P.H. (1954) suggested as inherently the Brushing up of the children create disputes
among structure of familial, sex codes and religional thoughts and the problems within them
impacts their emotional development”. Landis, P.H. (1954) argued the impact on younger’s
adjustment of idealistic and authoritative family relationships. The author suggested that in
context to individual and social malpractices, founded that the children from the authoritarian
family had a distinct values over the children from the democratize family. Mostly parent-
children disputes arises in the democratic family rather than in the authoritarian family. His one
more study examined the younger’s relation to democratic Vs authoritarian familial background,
huge & small families and destructed and unbroken families. His study resulted that the children
from the very big family was generally better adjustable and had small younger age problems.
The single child had little more botherations than the children in huge family. Single child also
disclose fewer friends rather than the boys in bigger families. Single child had been found to be
almost active outside the house and also mostly introspective. In fact the younger’s from
destructed homes had a few drastic problems than those from rest of the families, the differences
was not unavoidable. It seems to be more stress in child from destructed homes & they appeared
to be very mature & ready to adopt all responsibilities.

Durganand Sinha (1971) augmented variations between the adult & the old age people on their
perceptions to wear dresses, family, weddings, religional thoughts, customs & traditions,
conservatism, ideal radicalism, ideology of psychological closeness and spread of nearness,
heroimage & ideas of few typical events having socializing morale connotations & motivational
outlook. Clarity of good & bad & the morality code & the likings, findings showed that there
was a consistent degree of intergenerational gap in between the different generations, but that
was not of a characterization to be identified as basics or to made the situational tensions or
fraught with disputes. There was amazing overlapping in attitudinal values in the thinking of the
younger’s and aged generations.

Anandlaxmi (1972) founded similar studies & yielded same findings. Very few generation gap
was revealed between 60 woman students and his/her mothers in Delhi. This sample was from
the lower & upper middle class families. Then interview schedule contained questions regarding
to problems such as extravaganza patterns, fashionable clothing’s, socializing relationship values
alongwith opposite sex, respect to elderly people etc. She her opinion that there is none
generational gap in between all generations and if we take various middle class family females
urban dwellers into concern. Intergenerational problems is paused due to adjustment and
acceptable on the part of all the generations.

Twenge (2006) he criticized the positive findings drawn by other authors. Twenge perception on
today’s adult generations is different from that of various writers, who criticized in their books.
His book concentrated on the intergenerational contends and said today’s adult definitely likes
the enhancement of various occasions and they really need and want to do what they actually
needs. But author had not seen any clues whether young feel attachment or fulfill his/her duty as
a group. Normally adult always treated that they should live their feelings those very nice about
themselves. Hence , it does not mean an attitudinal behaviors which follows socializing values
and favors as an individual attention. He also presented and showed very convincing proofs that
now a days adults and young are behaving that they are shining stars , their perception is highly
successful even they are stars but still they are facing more obstacles to found an appropriate job
according to skills.

Debard (2004) argued that earlier family was the group of number of people under one roof
where head of the whole family treated as a care taker for every one. But his study found that
now family means two or three people live together and as time passes their traditional values &
perceptions automatically changing as by changing of environmental systems. The head of the
person try to inculcate good and harmonious social values in between all the family members but
outside climate reflects a lot and it created generation gap among all generations like adult
,young and old people. Various restrictions impart to younger’s may change their behavior and
younger’s attitudes and they got frustrated and try to live their life on their conditions. Parental
impact can’t be so in a depth situation, but the different perceptions and ideology repressed day
after indulgent of the things. Family support and practical emotional approach forecast very
optimistic results like high social values , high morale in everything to be done & becoming
intellect person . Positivity of family members creates good behavioural substance and escapes
younger’s from bad things adopting from outside.

Shamow(2001) argued that true relationship not becoming crucial because supporting to young
ones & it deteriorates miscommunication among family people and also saves from loose mental
health . Family culture impacts both attitudinal problems in working place of children .Those
children who is living in single parent family are highly destructive and normally get very low
grades . This impact shows in their marks and performance. The children who lives with
biological mother father are far better than single family parent kids . They perform better and
never be at risk . Everybody supports them and make them happy in schools and working places.
Sometimes children feel very tensed & loose their patience and concentration because on the
baggage of high expectations from a particular ones. Children always dreamt to provide them
their best in each and every where but parental expectations crosses their limits. High aspirations
are also very important . But , if say single parent kid they normally treated as a comeup from
broken family . Absence of any mother or father seems a loss of potential concentration and
showed lower achievement in grades.
Panda, B.N (1997) suggested that parents high expectations from children to perform better
have positive impact on younger’s workings. Parents high aspirations children school
achievement is precious. Parents expectations about high career of childrens their hopes to make
those expectations come true. An influential & High aspirations seems important for younger’s
& parents who have high expectations may support a drastic impact that enables them to
deceased the drawbacks that they face. Highly disappointed parenting style has most
demotivational effects on markings, attitudes towards colleges, and ability. Various dropouts
report family monitoring of their featuring and less conversation with parents. The study also
discussed the possible influence of few factors like climatic and environmental family impact ,
which covers economical status of size of the whole family , number of children in huge families
, type of family like nuclear and joint , income of families ordinal positions like single parent
family and step families . Other variables like supplement of parental encouragements ,
involvement , education , parent child relationships.

Cunneen and Libesman (2000) He studied the discussed variables in his research and tried to
find the influence of these variables on the adolocents and family culture and behaviours. Is this
really impacts on generational gap or these variables are just the sake of name , doesn’t mean in
practical life of any children or any family members . Cunneen and Libesman (2000) normally
family people have no time to spare with their kids , wife and relatives. Thus the important
considerations of hospitality and affection are affecting. Families are becoming very
materialistic. Actually people eventfully running after money and materialistic things so that the
socializing value of harmony is also depriving off its intensity. The important concern of this
socialize change in moral value system, integrity, harmony, honor and honesty that none are
existing accorded the respect normally family people deserve.
Gangrade (1970) discussed that infact acknowledging children safety needs, various family
people are unhappy because of inappropriate culture and the things are neglecting abusing
language are identifying and the high intervention of child welfare authorities. Gangrade (1970)
concluded that the differecial attitudes among generations reflect in many areas like carrier
opportunities , educational and national goals. The concept of intergenerational conflict is highly
subtle and complex . The major gap and conflict is an ongoing procedure of changing social
values. Author said no individual generational conflict is regressive in terms of progressiveness
and conservativeness. Many areas where researcher also concluded that the social value of young
, adult and parents community became more free and the disputes between different generations
may be eliminated . The important concern a conflict between high generation gap in parents and
young ones because parents want to live their traditional and customized systems whereas
teenagers want to discuss & share their new ideas and sentiments , feelings to one another ,
helpfulness in respective areas , very dedicated towards friends groups . But sometimes affection
becomes barrier in young’s life and this thing restrict them to fly in this beautiful world.

Bengtson (1975) concluded that values of ethics are dynamically changing with the ages of
time. Many family integration revolves on the sphere and these values include receptiveness to
elders and religious persons , collectivism, co-operating to others , hospitability, integration
values. The modern ideologies is materialism like imperative agent that is responsible for ever
changing customized traditional values to this individualistic approach is also changing these the
old values.

Wakil (1981) suggested that near about 65% world's population had an access to the daily TV.
Many of the Television screens are dominated by movies of America, lifestyles & music. Chil
normally not want to sit in the evening time by their family , parents & grandparents to express
their views & ideals. On the contrary the stories & similar discussions that promoting the values
of respectness, peaceful intergrity, love , affection & unity are also destructed. Thus the children
have an inadequate wisdom & knowledge about the significance of values & systems for their
further life. Therefore they are normally ignorant of their customs & traditional valuing systems
that becomes the basics of their spiritual & religious output.
Troll (1982) argumented that parents & family feel quite alone because to breaking up of
communication with their kids. The intensive loving & caring giving values and elderly respect
demolishes with the time passes. Now a days the children like to place their grandparents or
parents in the nursing/oldage homes. Though there is a proof that they maintain relation with
parents & all children are valuable & precious to both of them , when the child reach at
adolescence then with change of their few traditional & cultural values that make causes a gap of
generation in between both parents & children. Resultly of this integrational family becomes
very weak. The scholars thus found that traditional & cultural values are the important
determinant of very strong & determinant family integration.

Wellman (1989) recommended , the children could provide the favorable support to their family
& parents at their elderly old age. But because of various major change agents the kids are
receeding their traditional & morale value system. Children are going to be more materialistic
& their companionship between parents becomes negligible. Now this is the drastic outcome of
younger & youth integration with high modernized valuing system. Since there are many ties
between their siblings than between children & parents & also they provide the favorable
support. Most of the times they become very less supportive & this phenomenal cause for almost
of the misunderstandings & miscommunications between children & parents. If the network of
kinship is really strong then this may reduce the generational gap between children & parents.

Myers (1992) found that in the era of modernity the family systems are changing. Nuclear
family system is going a norm in whole society & the concept of joint family valuable system is
going to obsolete. Secondly collectivism values are replaced by individualism. These days
people are going to be self centered & they just focus on self fulfillment requirements. Younger
children have been taught to become self-sufficient, infact adolescents moved away from the
family house & start their own living notified arrangements. Parents begin to move into
retirement homes or oldage homes apart from their young children. Therefore the researcher
found that overall all the family systems are changing in the whole society & the traditional &
morale values have been replaced by the modern lifestyles & necessities.
Rummens (1993) discussed that very basic cultural values are obsolescing their intensity with
the growing trends of world globalization. These traditional values are the major features of
providing national identity development for the individuals. Instead of arguing about cultural
homogenization, the researcher argues that American food chains globalization such as KFC in
whole Asia has led to promoting and exporting of local food around rest of the world. Wong said
that "Paradoxically”, globalization is ownself responsible for the revitalizing." The scholar
argues that the important function of globalization is going to restructuring the world &
introduces one culture throughout the world.

Scholte (2000) discussed that the impact of globalization on cultural & traditional identity is one
of the immensely & multi-dimensional concerning areas of the present situation because
globalization & modernization brought basic transition in the origins of morale traditional value
systems related to family, nation , community & physical geographical change to those of global
media. In the context of globalization & modernity are the important cause of decreasing social
solidarity & encouraged individualism. Globalization brings various changes in collective
affections, which are grasped by society and leads towards market-oriented culture &
individualization of Western society.

Dutceac (2004) argued that globalization is ever changing the cultures & religious values in the
world. The important values of corruption, individualism, cultural imperialism, pluralism,
cultural invasion, social isolation, , individual interaction , declining social solidarity and the
overall conclusions of life are all harped and corrupted by globalizational capitalism,
international market players, mass communication and the promotions of huge consumption.
Infact various local languages & valuable culture are on the based of disappearing as a result of
globalization. Globalized consumerism is now showing a homogeneous international culture
while indigenous values of the oriental are going accidental has been replaced by western
cultures & integrities.

Yuan (2006) argued that cultural values shows the importance of ideas, concepts, things, beliefs
& opinions by expressing the meanings of all these concepts in the particular cultural & valuable
context. These days every society has its own traditional culture and the meaning of values
shared by all people. The mutual relationship in between the meaning of values and cultures
explains that constructing of the valueable terms must be based on culture. The growth of
culture, performed outstanding products & improved environment of humanitarian are the
beginning point for the people who has hold the perfect understanding of values. The meaning of
values is a backbone for any one and the core content of its socialization values as well. Each
community has its their specific concept behind the value in different many ways that impacts its
members & the common understandings of social & cultural values that are being shared by its
members.

Khan, et al. (2011) suggested that Pakistani culture & tradition is very rich in valuable system.
These type of values comprises of religious ideologies , ethical & social . Therefore Pakistani
culture is multichallenges towards its traditional integration , moral , ethical & religious values.
On the contrary the deceased values in Pakistan included the familial integration, language
promotional values and high dressing styles. But with the trend of change agents & passage of
time these values are going to change rapidly. Specially the familial integrational is going the
victim of this major change.

Tavakol, M., & Ghazi Nejad, M. (2012) focused the great awakening, increased aspiration,
interests and ideal have been exploding in discrete sections of society that are culturally and
economically ill prepared to assimilate such types of changes find themselves in tension &
conflicts. Now such situation impacts their outlook outward world and gives rise to harbor within
themselves sharply conflicting valuations. that changes are concentrated in a shorter time span,
alongwith order break which inevitably include changes of policy through governmental
planning. Change in economic processes such as changes in population, health, education,
vocational & professional training demands, investment, taxation, mobilization of economic
resources, general civic culture improvement in government reform, protection and uplift of
depressed classes are affecting generation thinking patterns & valuing process.

Sedaghatifard, M. (2011), refers the depression and strain produced by economic processes
such as investment, taxation, mobilization of economic resources, change in population, health,
education, vocational & professional training general give culture, improvement in
administration is government land reform . Agitations has been trigged of by issues truely local
and quiet trivial in character. In almost Indian universities lowering of admission norms, against
stiff questions walkout for expelling students who have resorted to unfair means, for lowering of
examination standards so that more students get declared as passed, lowering of attendance
requirements of examination. Mass communication media exposure to ratio, television,
international press and other agencies of mass communication due to headily available
information regarding happenings in the world bombard the young and impressionable minds
with never ideas, new modes and norms, which increase intergenerational conflicts and
awareness of conflict in the minds of young and old alike the mass media have helped to create a
kind of “Generational Solidarity” among the young. Protection and uplift of depressed classes
and so on. Mydral also emphasized that back warders and stagnation and harbor within
individuals sharply conflicting valuations.

RAVINDRA CHAUHAN (2001) regards the decline of parental authority and parental
influence into value orientation of children. The demographic aspect of intergenerational gap is
due to population percentage increase of youth group. Family is fast giving up better socializing
functions and is relegating that soliciting function to more formal agency of education to the
cinema and the peer groups. The parental model is no longer emulated. Lower educational status
of parents is also a cause of youth unrest because such parents fail to understand the interests and
aspiration of youth. Another factor contributing to conflict is the stress caused by authoritarian
set up of the family and the expectation of the democratic pattern of life on the part of the young.
Such parents could very rarely serve as models for behavior conduct and aspirations for the
younger generation. Parents who are occupationally lower, the chances of identifying themselves
with their values and way of life were obviously remote. Parents India today have not been able
to shake off the traditional garb of expecting unquestioned obedience and submission to the
authority of the elders they try to impose their own views and ideas on the youth. Motivational
gap has been a cause of intergenerational gap.

Gholamreza Kashi, M. J. (2004) suggested the stage of adolescence is thereby set for conflict,
evasion and deceit. It points out towards a change in people's food habits, dress habits, speaking
styles, tastes, choices, preferences, ideas, values, recreational activities and so on. For mass of
parents toleration is never possible. For the mass of adolescents sublimation is never sufficient.
that modernization is considered as a process of adopting the modern values and modern mode
of living style. In its true sense it is an attempt on the part of people who usually are the staunch
practitioners of their respective cultural, moral, and ethical ideals adapting the modernity. People
give more importance to science and technology in the process of getting them modernized. The
modern scientific inventions have rationalized the society in a distinctive way. The whole web of
social relationships got drastic changes and installed new ideologies in the place of traditional
ones.

Tamarra Gold (2014) studied organisation of age in relation to demography, technology,

economic & political development and on the basis of this study, discussed the effect of role on
value development. He observed that the 1990s generation gap is quite different from that of the
earlier generations & it features a mutual contempt between the younger generation and the
middle-aged. However that changes are being brought about in a shorter span of time. Changes
in economic processes, in population, health, education, professional training affects the outlook
of the youngsters toward the world, which generates sharply conflicting demands within
themselves. Such sections of society that intensively feel culturally & economically not adequate
in assimilating such types of variations, find themselves under visiblility tensed and conflicts.

Miller and Shumow (2001) refers to the stress produced by economic processes such as change
in ll economic sources, major change in population, health changes, education system changes,
professional training, cultural values, changes in administrative & governmental policies &
guidelines, etc., all exert impact on the society, to get result in sharply contradicting valuations
of individuals. He suggested that conflictions and results agitation are initially initiated by
various issues which are purely basics and quite insignificant in characterization; in Indian
universities substantial lowermost of admission norms or attendance requirements of
examination, etc. Proliferation of consumer goods and unchecked exposure to radio, television,
international press and other agencies of mass communication which provide every kind of
information to the young and impressionable minds with never ideas, new styles and values,
substantially increase intergenerational conflicts.
Darwin’s (1958) argued that adaptation or changing in ownself according to the outside
environment is a basic necessity for surviving. A species which may be adapted quite
successfully to meet the demand of living survivals & multiplied, despite of others who had not,
died out. The psychological ,social & policy issues of school help & guide children to adjust with
it. Specially children face many challenges for adjusting with academic and other curricular
programs, teachers perceptions, peer grouped behavior & adjustment with staff members. In
order of making the school/college environment harmonious & very inspiring proper balancing
is required in activities, recreational things, and overall climates, training to teachers,
evaluational systems & attitudes of administrative personnel in the working place.

Jayachandran, S (2008) revealed that the environment must be motivational for developing
educational behavioural abilities of the children. The joint family plays most oldest in Indian
culture , custom & tradition. All the members of a joint family are simultaneously living in the
meaning of sharing & caring by giving up their personal expectations. As each one knows Joint
family is an association of some closely related family persons, where a various group of
peoples, just living in a same home with each other, having the prepared food by the single
kitchen, participating in a general performing prayers of God. children of joint families are
growing with affection of love & cooperation, making fun, full enjoyment & community
axiology. Normally Joint family system is one of the important characteristic of Hindism. That
was the basics of the morale social system of India in past years.T hus, with the complexities in
social structural due to heavy industrialization, ever ching modernization & expanding
urbanization joint family system slowly transformed to the nuclear one in post independence era
of Indian history.

T.Khaja rahamtulla (2007), argued that the children of nuclear families are comparatively lack
of emotional intelligence & community living concepts. The family which has lowest members
are called as nuclear family. Generally nuclear family consists of grandparents , parents & their
children who are more or less self desirous centered, independently liberal & free from their own
responsibilities for the other family members, like grandfather & mother, aunt , uncle & nieces.
S.A.Annie and Isabella (2010), in her reaerch intended to explored if there was any positive
relationship between children achievement & socioeconomic status its because of joint family
integrational values & systems which has been already inculted in children & performing well
academically. They showed if there was no positive relationship between children achievement
& socioeconomic status of children , we can say it’s due to the impact of nuclear family or single
parent family . In conclusive form, as nuclear family is a system of lower family members which
like liberalization & believe in modernization.

Ray & et.l(2006), examined that adjustment of children is basically dependent on the variables
such as the class in which they are sitting, the medium of instruction available in the
school/colleges & the kind of management of the academics. Parents education & profession also
significantly impact on children behaviour. The relationship among social system as measured
by perceiving social support, individual concept & social skills , performance on career. He also
studied & aimed to trace the relationship in between family environment, the household
adjustments & family background in adolescents. Family climate appeared to impact home as
well as performance in academics also. They suggested that children performance was positively
related to independence & confliction domains of familial environment. Youngs & adults
differed in thinking of the home and environment.

Chen (2007), found joint family children performance in schools & it’s impact on future study.
The research was conducted on 325 children who were studying in different sub-urban
academics of China. He argued that the influence of academic achievement on future study for
children is better in joint families. Infact children are found better in settlings of long term
ambitions.

Turner Chandler & Haffer (2009) experimented the impact of parenting lifestyles, self-
efficiency & family environment on the academic performance of the children. He studies &
revealed that all dependent variables are positive predictor to the academic performance of the
children.

Ma & Kishore(1997), studied on the academic performance of the children who belongs to joint
family in general, whether children attitude in joint family was a positive predictor of academic
performance. He found that an attitude of the children was not necessarily forecasted ones
academic performance is also depend on various other factors such as sample selection, race, &
sample size . Thus they suggested that further study is needed to confirm the relationship in
between academic performance & attitudes. Children belong to joint family & nuclear family
found the family background & adjustment play a most positive role to academic performance.
They also argued that the children belong to nuclear familyies show better in compare of
students belong to joint family.

Mckay(2005) studied on family environment, Adjusting values & their influence on academic
achievement of children of joint family & nuclear family. They resulted that academic
performance is impacted by familial environment, Adjusting capabiliites & attitudes at schooling
stage becomes part from behavioral activities. They researched that family background & the
impact of performance play a very positive role on academic performance of school level
children.

Ryff, Lee, Essex, & Schmutte, (1994). argued that parents often expect their adult children to
take up jobs, secure financial independence, marry, and have children. He discovered that
parents exhibited more tensions regarding the habits and lifestyle and habits of their adult-
children - their health related issues and how they spend their time and money - than other topics
of tension. The well-being of parents often depends, to a very large extent, on their children’s
success in these matters . A large body of the research on parent and adult-child tensions has
focused on the mother-daughter bond or, when including fathers and sons, has not examined the
conclusions drawn, separately based on gender. Parents report more acute individual tensions
than their adult children, since they exhibit intense desires for their children to achieve
independence and to attain adult status, enabling them to care for themselves. However
perceptions of tensions and conflicts may differ by gender. Tensions may be deeper and more
severe with mothers or daughters than with fathers or sons.

Sinha, (1984) “found that in a nuclear family, there are less persons and hence a limited number
of adult models to follow. As a result, the child develops a strong sense of personal bonding with
the parents, “with a greater scope of developing clear-cut self-identity”. A dynamic
multidimensional view of interaction of individual emerged in 1960’s in social sciences, with
contemporary emphasis on dynamic, situational, transactional aspects of behavior is found in
social exchange there, exchange theory illustrates the converging interests of several disciplines
in processes by which societies allocate roles and resources and in the interaction of individual.
The new generation has been radicalized in the sense that it is out to implement the values which
their parents only professed. The “Closeness” or distance one feels from the member of another
generation little research has examined this dimension of inter age interaction or studies
systematically the content of such contrast. On the one hand attributed differences may be seen
in the stereo types by one age group of the other or in generalized desirability of trades of one
age group as constructed to another. On the other hand they may be evidence in the evaluation of
interaction between age group.

CHAPTER SUMMARY
After reviewing the literature of this study, it is evident that there are varied explanations of the
concept of generation gap or discontinuity theories; and the theoretical approaches have provided
useful pointers to its possible causes and palpable consequences.

The review suggests a number of contradictory, but significant views on the issue of generation
gap. Is the concept of generation gap an actuality? Is it merely a fashionable phrase coined by the
modern society? Is it an inevitable consequence and the price we pay for so called-progress? Is it
an irreversible chasm that can never be lessened, or is there some way by which a balance
between the co-existing generations can be re-established?

Some of the theories highlight the fact that a huge gap exists between the generations in the
community that may ultimately result in complete revolution within, or even a total
disintegration of the family as a societal unit. However, some of these theories claim that the
concept of generation gap is nothing more than an illusory notion, one that has been given undue
importance by the modern man’s hyped imagination, and there exists a great and vital continuity
between generations. These are the more positive theories that lay emphasis on the fact that there
is a very real continuity between generations in the most significant aspects of life mainly ethics,
morals, ideals and values. In the context of the Indian family, both optimistic and pessimistic
approaches are discernible. Some theorists believe there are no disproportionate gaps between
the values and priority patterns of parents and children. The optimistic approach proposes that
change is a natural, obligatory and necessary ongoing process, of social evolution. This process
of cultural absorption and progression has existed since the very inception of society and is
looked upon primarily as a mandatory cultural feature in the development and evolution of the
human race.

In contrast, the advocates of the pessimistic approach believe that the younger generation has
been drastically influenced by western culture and its attendant values and have been enthralled
by its ethnic culture which is vitally obscure and foreign to the Indian psyche. It is for this reason
that a distance is created between the newer generation and the older one which feels
comfortable in adhering to the traditional cultural values. The eagerness of the young generation
to adopt alien lifestyles, results in family conflicts, culminating in the slackening of cohesive
family ties. In today’s world, there prevails a general sense of the cultural and revolutionary
changes that have occurred in the familial context. Many scholars have concluded that the
different generations before and after the Indian revolution are passing through critical times and
feelings of outer alienation and inner loneliness.

A number of researchers and scholars on sociological studies have proposed variously, that
within the Indian society, with special reference to the family, a generation gap or discontinuity
is evident or will soon become evident. These studies have been sharply focused on the more
detailed aspects and dimensions of the generation gap, and have finally affirmed that such
generation gaps are blatantly visible in the modern Indian family structure. However, there is
substantial statistical evidence to show that despite the western onslaught of ideas and cults, the
young Indian mind is still deeply rooted in the traditional cultural values of respect, obedience,
family ties and emotional bonding. As a result of the drastic changes occurring due to the Indian
revolution and experiences of imposed war, changes have undoubtedly occurred, but they are not
so dominant or even unnaturally blatant. Global developments in the field of information
technology and the extension of mass media have exerted tremendous impact on the social
fabric. Our lives are dramatically altered in the name of modernisation and progress, and the
direct impact is felt most palpably at the familial level.

To conclude, we could say that the phenomenon of generation gap is a significant fact of today’s
world. No society can afford to ignore or overlook the matter because it touches the very core of
human survival and a decent existence. The Indian family has also not remained untouched by its
advancing ambush and a slow change is evident in our country. As responsible youths, we need
to attend to this gap, not ignoring, denying or sidelining it, but by focusing on positive ways to
tackle the issue in its infancy, before it assumes a disproportionately monstrous form – as it has
done unfortunately, in the western world.