Page 94 - IJPS-11-2

International Journal of
Population Studies Multigenerational evaluation of globalization

changes that have occurred in India over the past 30 years. perspectives of three different generations. Significant
However, one common thread runs through all of these changes include the shift from joint families to nuclear
forces – the progressive implementation of globalization. families, changes in filial piety, an increased sense of
Given that many past theories have endorsed the role individual autonomy, a more egalitarian nature within
of globalization in bringing out changes in the cultural families, a rise in the number of working women, a decrease
environment (e.g., Appadurai [1996]), the role of in the quality of family relationships, more authoritative
globalization is vital in the dynamics of change in family parenting, positive in-law relationships, changes in marriage
relationships in India. dynamics, changes in the process of partner selection, and
changes in decision-making about education and careers.
4.1. Limitations and future directions The study also highlighted how the opinions of the three
Our study has certain limitations. The study was qualitative, generations were similarly aligned on various issues. The
with a limited sample of 30 participants from the state of youngest generation was very appreciative of all the changes,
Kerala. Kerala’s relatively higher developmental index while the older generations were somewhat resistant to some
may have caused the state to be impacted by globalization of the changes. The study is one of the first to examine the
differently than other states with lower sociodemographic changes in Indian families from a broad perspective.
indicators. As a result, the findings need to be interpreted
considering this particular sociodemographic setting. Acknowledgments
Future research may, therefore, focus on multiple regions None.
that correspond to different Indian states. In addition,
future research can consider mixed methods for data Funding
collection. Increasing the number of participants to None.
ensure representation from various levels of society
(e.g., rural/urban) could provide more varied opinions Conflict of interest
and experiences. Our study probed only three domains of
change, namely family relationships, marriage, and career The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
choices. Future studies might focus on the intergenerational Author contributions
transfer of wealth, the impact of family structure on mental
health outcomes, and the influence of family structure on Conceptualization: Barani Kanth
social inequality. Furthermore, the way in which these Methodology: Damodaran Megha, Martin Thomas, Barani
changes affect different generations can also be explored. Kanth
Writing – original draft: Damodaran Megha, Martin
4.2. Implications Thomas
The present study is one of the few studies that examine Writing – review & editing: Barani Kanth, Prakash
the influence of globalization on changes in Indian Navaneetham, Mappilar Kunnummal Dilsha
family dynamics, marriage, and career choice from a
multigenerational perspective. Since the family is the basic Ethics approval and consent to participate
structural unit of society, investigating changes within the Not applicable.
family can enrich our understanding of both family and
societal transformations. The insights from this study can Consent for publication
be used to construct tools like questionnaires or scales Participants gave consent to publish their data in this paper
for more extensive quantitative research in this field. By
incorporating the perspectives of multiple generations, the Availability of data
research provides a comprehensive understanding of each
generation, which can be particularly useful in counseling Participants’ verbatim is available on request to the
settings, especially during family therapies. In addition, corresponding author.
the study sheds light on the nature of intergenerational References
relationships in India. The findings can also inform policies
and practices aimed at supporting families in India. Agrawal, A. (2015). Cyber-matchmaking among Indians:
Re-arranging marriage and doing “kin work”. South Asian
5. Conclusions Popular Culture, 13(1):15-30.

The study uncovered several changes in Indian family https://doi.org/10.1080/14746689.2015.1024591
relationships, marriage, and career choices from the Allendorf, K. (2013). Going nuclear? Family structure and

Volume 11 Issue 2 (2025) 88 https://doi.org/10.36922/ijps.2404