Adjustment Level of Children of Working and Nonworking Mothers: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: The foundational setting of home plays a pivotal role in shaping the child’s early experiences and laying the groundwork for their emotional well-being and social development. The success and well-adjustment of many children can often be attributed to the positive and nurturing environments in which they are raised. In particular, those who thrive typically hail from homes where parental attitudes are supportive, and wholesome relationships between children and parents flourish. Methodology: A Non experimental comparative research design was adopted among 100 children studying in three high-schools of Kamrup rural district of both working and non-working mothers. Sampling technique was Non probability convenience sampling. A self-structured socio-demographic tool consisting of 13 questions, a modified Bell’s Inventory Adjustment Tool consisting of Home, Health, Social and Emotional Adjustment domains with135 items was utilized to collect the data from the sample. Results and Discussion: Data was analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. With respect to children of working mothers, 80% had moderate level of adjustment problems, whereas 18% had low level of adjustment problem followed by 2%, those who reports severe adjustment problems. Among the children of non-working mothers, 70% had moderate level of adjustment problems and 30% reported to have low level of adjustment problems. There was no statistically significant difference in the level of adjustment between the children of working and non-working mothers. But significant difference was observed with the emotional adjustment domain with “t” value of (t=2.472, p=0.015) which was statistically significant at p<0.05 level. Conclusion: The process of adjustment is a universal sequence that can be identified in the behavior of organisms, spanning from the lowest species to humans. Whether observed in simple organisms or complex human beings, the ability to adjust to environmental conditions, changes, and challenges is a common thread. This universal adaptation sequence highlights the significance of the adjustment process as a fundamental and shared characteristic that contributes to the survival and functionality of living organisms across different levels of complexity in the natural world.