Development of Self-Concept as Related to Gender, Age and Residential Background in Socio-Cultural Context of Bangladesh

Abstract

The present study deals with the development of self-concept of pre­adolescent early adolescent and late adolescent boys and girls with reference to their residential background and socio-economic status. The study has used several theories of self-concept such as motivational theories, social theories, cognitive theories and affective theories. These theories have provided the background and underlying theme of the study. Furthermore, current literature relevant to self-concept has been reviewed. The rationales, of the study, the specific objectives and hypotheses have been framed with reference to theoretical construct and empirical findings of previous studies. Thus the main objective of the study was to conduct an empirical investigation on the formation and development of self-concept as related to residential background and socio-economic status of pre-adolescent, early adolescent and late adolescent boys and girls in the socio-cultural context of Bangladesh. Accordingly, four hypotheses were framed. These were (i) Regardless of stages of development, residence and socio-economic status; boys would express significantly higher self-concept as compared to girls. (ii) Regardless of gender, stages of development and socio-economic status, respondents with urban residential background would express significantly higher self-concept as compared to the respondents with rural residential background. (iii) Regardless of gender, stages of development and residential background, respondents with middle socio-economic status would express significantly highest self-concept followed by the respondents with high socio-economic status and least by the respondents with low socio-economic status. (iv) Regardless of gender, residence and socio-economic status, respondents of late-adolescent stage would express significantly highest self-concept followed by the respondents of early adolescent stage and least by the respondents of pre-adolescent stage. A total of 360 respondents constituted the sample of the study. It was a stratified random sample. The sample was equally divided into pre-adolescent stage (N= 120), early adolescent stage (N= 120) and late-adolescent stage (N=120). Each category was again equally sub-divided into boys (N=60) and girls (N=60). Each subdivision was again categorized into urban (N=30) and rural (N=30) according to their residential background. Each category was again subdivided into high (N=10), middle (N=10) and low (N=10) according to their socio-economic status. The age range of the respondents in pre-adolescent stage was between 7-9, early adolescent stage was between 10-12 and late adolescent stage was between 13-15. The Self-Descriptive Questionnaire-1 (SDQ-1) developed by Marsh (1990) was adapted in Bengali for data collection in the present study. This questionnaire contained 76 items. These items were divided into 8 dimensions. The first dimension was named Physical Ability Scale. It included 8 items. The second dimension was name Physical Appearance Scale. It included 11 items. The third dimension was named Peer Relations Scale. It included 8 items. The fourth dimension was named Parent Relations Scale. It included 8 items. The fifth dimension was named Reading Scale. It included 9 items. The sixth dimension was named Mathematics Scale. It included 10 items. The seventh dimension was named General School Scale. It included 10 items. The 8th dimension was named General Self-Scale. It included 8 items. The results of the study were computed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The analyses were computed in five parts. In the first part, ANOVA was computed with three factors such as stages of development, gender, and residential background. In the second part, ANOVA was computed on pre­adolescent stage with three factors such as gender, socio-economic status and residential background. In the third part, ANOVA was computed on early adolescent stage with three factors such as gender, socio-economic status and residential background. In the fourth part, ANOVA was computed a late adolescent stage with three factors such as gender, socio-economic status and residential background. In the fifth part, profile for mean scores on multi­dimensional self-concept for each dimension was reported along with mean scores on total non-academic, total academic and total self. In general, results provided empirical supports to H1, H2 and H3• Thus it was found that boys expressed higher self-concept than girls, urban respondents expressed higher self-concept than rural respondents and the respondents with middle socio-economic status expressed highest self-concept followed by the respondents with high socio-economic status and least by the respondents with low socio-economic status. But the findings of the study failed to provide empirical support to H4. Thus it was found that respondents in pre-adolescent stage expressed highest self-concept followed by the respondents in early adolescent stage and least by the respondents in late adolescent stage. Results on different dimensions showed that mathematics, reading and general school played major role for the development of self-concept. But physical abilities, physical appearance and peer relations appeared as comparatively less important factors for the formation of self-concept in socio-cultural context of Bangladesh. Consequently, it was found that total academic emerged as vital factor than total non-academic in the formation and development of self-concept in Bangladeshi boys and girls with reference to their residential background and socio-economic status in pre-adolescent, early adolescent and late adolescent stages of life-span. In conclusion it is found that the present study has revealed the multi-faceted nature of self-concept in eleven primary environmental contexts such as physical abilities, physical appearance, peer relations, parent relations, reading, mathematics, general school, general self, total non-academic, total academic and total self. These primary domains of self-concept are not only mutually exclusive but these have overlapped considerably for the creation of more specific context of self-concept. The findings also showed that the number and range of specific contexts available to the children were selected from a vast area of daily experiences. These were found to culminate in self-concept in an organized fashion. Thus the behaviorally oriented model of self-concept has been supported by the findings of the present study.