Psychologists and sociologists tell us that a good upbringing means transferring culture, values and experiences from one generation to another in an uninterrupted process which transforms children into social creatures capable of coexisting amicably with those around them. A close look at the relationship between the generations in our society, however, will quickly show that instead of coming together, the generations are drifting apart with each becoming more isolated from the other.
There is a growing sense that the two groups have failed to understand each other; the problem is particularly acute among the young who, because they feel the older group does not understand them, find themselves with both personal and social problems. The older in turn think the younger lack all sense of what is important and these mutually exclusive beliefs are at the root of the generation gap we see in our society. Our family life has taken on a totally different nature from what the older generation was used to. The result is that instead of bringing up their children, parents have left the job to maids and modern technology. While unique and treasured family traditions are disappearing, the culture of maids and technology is taking root. The real danger is that if this culture is given a free hand to mould and shape children, the children’s sense of isolation will increase. With the family structure rapidly changing, we see the role of the oldest members of extended families diminishing. They were previously the ones who maintained family values and traditions and who passed them to the next generation.
Our children now find themselves unable to benefit from this richness because they are closer to people other than their parents. When they grow up, these children find themselves living in a society and culture that looks strange to them and it is from here that a clash of culture and values comes to the surface. Any attempt to make the child integrate and respond to the needs of the local culture is bound to be an impossibility. How can you expect a child brought up in the maid and technology culture to feel any link with either the older generation or its traditions and values? We ought to focus on intergenerational programs which would ensure that the family remained responsible for the various nurturing, educational and economic functions required to maintain and support its members in every way.
