Exposure to Industrial and Urban Environments and Formal Schooling as Factors in Psychological Differentiation

Abstract

The influence on psychological differentiation exerted by exposure to industrial and urban environments and to formal schooling was investigated with the help of Story-Pictorial EFT administered on 240 7-10-ycar-old children belonging to the Santhal tribe residing in and around an industrial city in Bihar. A 2 X 2 X 2 ANOVA performed on differentiation scores revealed significant main effects of industrial and urban exposures, and of schooling. Significant Sway interaction effect indicated that the impact of urbanization in the industrial and non-industrial settings varied with exposure to formal schooling, and that the main effects in spite of their being statistically significant have to be taken with caution. Impact of the three factors on psychological differentiation is interpreted in terms of changes induced through acculturation that alter the experiential base of the individual as well as cultural characteristics of this environment.Industrial and urban environment and education are three vital components of acculturation, a process of cultural change resulting from contact. They constitute a major source of experiential differences for the individuals exposed to them. Since an important factor in the variations in psychological differentiation is the nature of experiences which emanate from the environment in which people live (Berry 1966), exposures to industrial and urban settings and to schooling are likely to operate as strong influences in the context.As an important ingredient of the acculturation process, industrialisation is based on a manufacturing unit. A factory not only brings together a large number of working people in one place but also creates

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Ecocultural Factors in Cognitive Style Among Children From Hills and Plains of Nepal

“…In contrast, high food accumulation, agricultural exploitative pattern, and conditions emphasizing greater role diversity and social stratification tend to promote field-dependence. Similarly, acculturative experiences of schooling, urbanization and wage employment foster field independence (Cole et al, 1976;MacArthur, 1975;G. Sinha, 1988;Witkin & Berry, 1975).…”

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