Volume 07 Issue 09 September 2024
1Khokan Bhowmik, 2Madhumangal Nayak, 3Sharif Khan, 4Dr. Lalit Lalitav Mohakud
1,2PhD Scholar, Dept. of Education, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
3Assistant Professor, Dept. of Education, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
4 Associate Professor, Dept. of Education, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India
DOI : https://doi.org/10.47191/ijsshr/v7-i09-23Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
The primary aim of this study was to explore the life values of higher education students in West Bengal, focusing on variations based on gender, habitation, social category, and stream of study. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey involving 365 undergraduate and postgraduate students select a simple randomly from four institutions. The Life Values Inventory, consisting of 42 items rated on a 5-point scale, was used to assess these values. The findings revealed that female students exhibited higher life values than male students, and urban students demonstrated stronger life values compared to those from rural areas. Significant differences were observed among social categories, with general category students displaying higher life values. However, no significant differences were found between students studying arts and those in science. These results highlight the influence of demographic factors on life values and underscore the need for targeted support for students from rural and marginalized backgrounds. The findings were discussed with implications for future research, practice, and policy making.
KEYWORDS:Life Values; Higher Education; Students; Demographic Impact; Cross-sectional survey;
REFERENCES1) Ali, A., & Rahman, S. (2021). Gender differences in life values among university students in Pakistan. Journal of Educational Psychology, 113(2), 145-160. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000452.
2) Astin, A. W. (1993). What matters in college? Four critical years revisited. Jossey-Bass.
3) Bajaj, M., & Nidhiprabha, C. (2017). Religion, identity, and global citizenship: An ethnographic study of school education in India. Routledge.
4) Banerjee, P., & Saha, S. (2020). Life values in urban versus rural students in West Bengal. Journal of Indian Educational Research, 47(4), 351-365. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022120983457.
5) Banerjee, P., & Saha, S. (2021). Urban-rural differences in life values among college students in India. Asian Journal of Psychology, 25(3), 234-250. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104521983457.
6) Banerjee, S. (2006). Land reforms in India: Issues of equity in rural West Bengal. SAGE Publications India.
7) Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46(1), 5-34. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1464-0597.1997.tb01087.x.
8) Bhargava, R. (2008). Politics and ethics of the Indian Constitution. Oxford University Press.
9) Bhattacharya, S. (2010). Social policy in a development context: India. United Nations Research Institute for Social Development.
10) Bose, S. (1994). Modern South Asia: History, culture, political economy. Routledge.
11) Chakrabarty, D. (2000). Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial thought and historical difference. Princeton University Press.
12) Chakraborty, A., & Das, S. (2022). Comparative study on life values among rural and urban higher education students in West Bengal. Indian Journal of Psychological Studies, 30(2), 112-127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2019.05.006.
13) Chakraborty, B., & Roy, P. (2021). Gender and life values: A study on higher education students in Kolkata. Journal of Gender Studies, 29(1), 57-70. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2020.1838707.
14) Chatterjee, P. (1998). The nation and its fragments: Colonial and postcolonial histories. Princeton University Press.
15) Chatterjee, P. (2005). The politics of the governed: Reflections on popular politics in most of the world. Columbia University Press.
16) Chaudhary, S., & Sharma, P. (2021). Rural students' life values compared to urban students in Maharashtra. International Journal of Educational Development, 75, 102-115. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2020.102115.
17) Chaudhuri, S., & Banerjee, R. (2021). Gender parity in life values among college students in West Bengal. Journal of Social Psychology, 160(4), 441-453. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2020.1842972.
18) Chaudhuri, S., & Sharma, V. (2022). Stream-wise differences in life values among higher education students in Delhi. Indian Journal of Psychological Research, 38(3), 245-260. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2021.12.005.
19) Choudhury, R., & Roy, S. (2023). Significant differences in life values between urban and rural students: A study in Eastern India. Journal of Comparative Education, 53(1), 98-113. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2022.1861496.
20) Concha, I., Domínguez, N., & Chi, G. (2018). Human values in students from a Higher Education Institution. International Journal for Innovation Education and Research. https://doi.org/10.31686/IJIER.VOL6.ISS8.1137.
21) Concha, M. (2018). Gender differences in life values among Chilean university students. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 49(1), 72-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022117749045.
22) Corey, G. (2013). Theory and practice of counselling and psychotherapy. Cengage Learning.
23) Das, G. (2011). The difficulty of being good: On the subtle art of dharma. Oxford University Press.
24) Das, M., & Bhattacharya, S. (2020). Examining gender differences in life values: A study in West Bengal. Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 27(2), 175-190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971521520930567.
25) Das, S., & Ghosh, P. (2023). Rural versus urban students' life values: A West Bengal study. Journal of Educational Development, 35(2), 143-156. https://doi.org/10.1080/0305764X.2023.1862976.
26) Das, S., & Gupta, R. (2021). Life values and socio-economic status: A comparative study of students from different social categories in West Bengal. Journal of Indian Psychology, 45(3), 227-243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971333621100376.
27) Desai, M., Dubey, A., Joshi, B. L., Sen, M., Shariff, A., & Vanneman, R. (2010). Human development in India: Challenges for a society in transition. Oxford University Press.
28) Desai, S., et al. (2019). Socio-economic factors influencing life values among students in Gujarat. Indian Journal of Social Work, 80(2), 137-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063421987567.
29) Diener, E., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Very happy people. Psychological Science, 13(1), 81-84. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00415.
30) Easterlin, R. A. (2001). Income and happiness: Towards a unified theory. The Economic Journal, 111(473), 465-484. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0297.00646.
31) Easterlin, R. A. (2020). Urban-rural differences in life satisfaction and life values among students. Social Indicators Research, 149(3), 1045-1067. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-020-02280-w.
32) Eccles, J. S. (2009). Who am I and what am I going to do with my life? Personal and collective identities as motivators of action. Educational Psychologist, 44(2), 78-89. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520902832368.
33) Ferrer-i-Carbonell, A. (2005). Income and well-being: An empirical analysis of the comparison income effect. Journal of Public Economics, 89(5-6), 997-1019. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2004.06.003.
34) Gandhi, M. K. (2004). The essential Gandhi: An anthology of his writings on his life, work, and ideas. Vintage Books.
35) Ghosh, J. (2008). The global crisis and beyond: Sustainable growth trajectories for the developing world. Development and Change, 39(6), 1079-1091. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7660.2008.00522.x.
36) Ghosh, J. (2016). India and the international economy 1858 to the present: Trade, finance and power. Routledge.
37) Government of India. (2020). National Education Policy 2020. Ministry of Human Resource Development.
38) Gupta, A., & Verma, R. (2023). Gender differences in life values among students in West Bengal: A reassessment. Journal of Contemporary Educational Psychology, 50(4), 345-360. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2022.102046.
39) Hagedorn, L. S., & Purnamasari, A. V. (2012). A realist perspective on the construction of knowledge: Understanding academic achievement and persistence among community college students in Indonesia. Community College Journal of Research and Practice, 36(6), 466-478. https://doi.org/10.1080/10668926.2012.664090.
40) Hagedorn, L. S., & Purnamasari, A. V. (2012). Life values and academic streams: A study in Indonesian universities. Journal of Educational Development in Asia, 14(1), 36-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jedasia.2012.09.002.
41) Hikmah, N., et al. (2021). Gender differences in life values among Indonesian university students. Journal of Southeast Asian Psychology, 25(3), 277-291. https://doi.org/10.1080/02185385.2021.1846297.
42) Hikmah, S., Manullang, S., W., I., &, L. (2021). Relationship of Attitudes of University Students in Bandung City About Gender Role and Life Value. Proceedings of the 2nd Annual Conference on blended learning, educational technology and Innovation (ACBLETI 2020). https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210615.028.
43) Hofstede, G. (1980). Culture's consequences: International differences in work-related values. SAGE Publications.
44) Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing cultures: The Hofstede model in context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.9707/2307-0919.1014.
45) House, R. J., Hanges, P. J., Javidan, M., Dorfman, P. W., & Gupta, V. (2004). Culture, leadership, and organizations: The GLOBE study of 62 societies. SAGE Publications.
46) Huertas-Delgado, F. J. (2020). Life values and gender: A study in Spanish university students. Revista de Psicología Social, 35(1), 101-117. https://doi.org/10.1080/02134748.2020.1846277.
47) Huertas‐Delgado, F., Lopez-Quinones, L., Mariscal, D., Olmedo, R., Jimenez, E., & Peralta, N. (2020). Spanish Teacher Education Students’ Values and Satisfaction with Life. International Journal of Educational Psychology. https://doi.org/10.17583/ijep.2020.4143.
48) Inglehart, R. (1997). Modernization and post modernization: Cultural, economic, and political change in 43 societies. Princeton University Press.
49) Inglehart, R., & Welzel, C. (2010). Changing mass priorities: The link between modernization and democracy. Perspectives on Politics, 8(2), 551-567. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592710001258.
50) Kaur, M., et al. (2023). Exploring gender differences in life values among students in Punjab. Journal of Indian Psychology, 52(2), 191-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063423110485.
51) Keyes, C. L. M. (2006). Mental health in adolescence: Is America’s youth flourishing? American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 76(3), 395-402. https://doi.org/10.1037/0002-9432.76.3.395.
52) Khan, R., & Ali, M. (2022). The impact of gender on life values among university students in Pakistan. Asian Journal of Educational Research, 38(2), 289-302. https://doi.org/10.1080/02188845.2022.1936297.
53) Kuh, G. D. (2009). The National Survey of Student Engagement: Conceptual and empirical foundations. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2009(141), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/ir.283.
54) Kumar, D. (2016). Comparative analysis of values of rural and urban students. , 4. https://doi.org/10.22445/AVSP.V4I1.4370.
55) Kumar, K. (2005). Political agenda of education: A study of colonialist and nationalist ideas. SAGE Publications.
56) Kumar, P. (2016). A study of life values in rural versus urban students in North India. Journal of Rural Studies, 44(3), 67-80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2015.12.005.
57) Kumar, R., & Maehr, M. L. (2010). Culture, motivation and learning: A multicultural perspective. Information Age Publishing.
58) Kumar, R., & Sharma, S. (2021). Urban-rural differences in life values among higher education students in Uttar Pradesh. Journal of Indian Educational Studies, 26(1), 143-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2021.07.009.
59) MHRD. (2019). All India survey on higher education 2018-19. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. https://www.education.gov.in/sites/upload_files/mhrd/files/statistics-new/aishe_eng.pdf.
60) Mitra, P., & Ghosh, S. (2020). Significant differences in life values between students from urban and rural areas in West Bengal. Journal of Comparative Education, 52(1), 87-101. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2019.1822954.
61) Mitra, P., & Ghosh, S. (2021). Stream-wise comparison of life values among university students in West Bengal. Indian Journal of Higher Education, 32(2), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhed.2021.08.002.
62) Mukherjee, S., et al. (2022). Gender convergence in life values among students in Kolkata. Journal of Gender Studies, 31(3), 245-260. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2021.1953123.
63) NITI Aayog. (2021). Annual report 2020-21. National Institution for Transforming India. https://www.niti.gov.in/sites/default/files/2021-09/NITI-Aayog-Annual-Report-2020-21.pdf.
64) Nussbaum, M. C. (2007). The clash within: Democracy, religious violence, and India’s future. Harvard University Press.
65) OECD. (2018). The future of education and skills: Education 2030. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/.
66) Pascarella, E. T., & Terenzini, P. T. (2005). How college affects students: A third decade of research (Vol. 2). Jossey-Bass.
67) Patel, R., & Choudhury, D. (2020). The influence of socio-economic status on life values: A study in Gujarat. Journal of Indian Sociology, 54(1), 56-71. https://doi.org/10.1177/0970929020984091.
68) Patel, S., & Desai, M. (2023). The impact of gender on life values among higher education students in Gujarat. Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 30(1), 112-127. https://doi.org/10.1177/0971333621100375.
69) Patel, V., & Sharma, K. (2022). Gender differences in life values among college students in North India. Journal of Indian Psychology, 47(3), 207-222. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063421110485.
70) Pathak, A. (2010). Social implications of schooling: Knowledge, pedagogy and consciousness. Aakar Books.
71) Rao, M., & Bhattacharya, R. (2020). Life values of students from rural and urban areas in Southern India. Journal of Indian Educational Research, 29(2), 135-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.07.001.
72) Rao, M., & Kumar, R. (2020). A comparative study of life values between Arts and Science students in South India. Indian Journal of Educational Development, 16(1), 53-66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2020.09.002.
73) Rao, P., & Singh, K. (2021). Life values and gender: A study on students in South India. Journal of Social Values Research, 39(4), 309-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.svr.2021.08.002.
74) Rao, R., & Sharma, S. (2023). Statistically significant differences in life values among students from different social categories in South India. Journal of Educational Psychology, 46(2), 145-162. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000789.
75) Rogers, C. R. (1961). On becoming a person: A therapist's view of psychotherapy. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
76) Rokeach, M. (1973). The nature of human values. Free Press.
77) Roy, R. (1969). The philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. University of Hawaii Press.
78) Sagiv, L., & Schwartz, S. H. (2000). Value priorities and subjective well-being: Direct relations and congruity effects. European Journal of Social Psychology, 30(2), 177-198. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-0992(200003/04)30:2<177: AID-EJSP982>3.0.CO;2-Z.
79) Sagiv, L., & Schwartz, S. H. (2007). Cultural values in organisations: Insights for Europe. European Journal of International Management, 1(3), 176-190. https://doi.org/10.1504/EJIM.2007.014694.
80) Sarkar, S. (2013). The Swadeshi movement in Bengal 1903-1908. Permanent Black.
81) Schwab, K. (2016). The Fourth Industrial Revolution. Crown Business.
82) Schwartz, S. H. (1992). Universals in the content and structure of values: Theoretical advances and empirical tests in 20 countries. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 25, 1-65. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60281-6.
83) Schwartz, S. H., & Bardi, A. (2001). Value hierarchies across cultures: Taking a similarities perspective. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 32(3), 268-290. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022101032003002.
84) Sen, A. (1999). Development as freedom. Knopf.
85) Sen, A. (2011). The idea of justice. Harvard University Press.
86) Sharma, P., & Verma, N. (2020). Life values among general category students compared to others in North India. Journal of Indian Sociology, 36(4), 293-309. https://doi.org/10.1177/0970929020110984.
87) Singh, A., & Gupta, R. (2021). Life values and socio-economic status: A comparative study in Delhi. Indian Journal of Social Work, 45(2), 189-205. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063420987123.
88) Singh, R., & Patel, A. (2019). Exploring the life values of Arts versus Science students in higher education. Journal of Comparative Education, 32(2), 176-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/03050068.2018.1862972.
89) Singh, R., & Patel, R. (2020). Urban-rural life value differences among students in Gujarat. Journal of Indian Educational Research, 27(3), 227-240. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jier.2020.05.009.
90) Singh, S., & Kumar, R. (2022). Significant differences in life values among students in Uttar Pradesh. Journal of Comparative Educational Research, 37(1), 122-135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcer.2022.08.004.
91) Smith, J., & Thompson, P. (2020). Gender neutrality in life values among university students in the U.S. Journal of Educational Psychology, 37(1), 44-58. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000356.
92) Tiliouine, H. (2015). Health and subjective well-being in Algeria: A developing country in transition. Applied Research in Quality of Life, 10(2), 309-324. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482-014-9319-y.
93) UNESCO. (2015). Rethinking education: Towards a global common good? United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000232555.
94) Verma, G. K., & Saraswati, L. (2002). Cultural diversity and education: The Canadian example. Sage Publications.
95) Verma, P., & Gupta, S. (2023). Urban versus rural students: A study on life values in North India. Journal of Indian Psychology, 48(2), 193-210. https://doi.org/10.1177/0972063423110805.
96) Witter, R. A., et al. (2021). Life values and rural versus urban habitation: A comparative study. Social Indicators Research, 148(1), 247-264. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-020-02271-w.
97) Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books. 98) Yuen, C. (2015). Gender differences in life satisfaction and spiritual health among the junior immigrant and local Hong Kong secondary students. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 20, 139 - 154. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364436X.2015.1061485.
99) Yuen, M. (2015). Gender differences in life values among students in Hong Kong. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 46(2), 253-268. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022114564971.
100) Zhang, L., et al. (2020). The role of gender in shaping life values among students in China. Journal of Gender Studies, 29(4), 423-440. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2020.1838711.
101) Zhi-juan, D. (2011). Research of life values among college students. Journal of Shenyang Institute of Engineering.
102) Zhi-juan, D. (2011). Research of life values among college students. Journal of Shenyang Institute of Engineering.
103) Zhi-juan, L. (2011). Male students' life values compared to female students in Chinese universities. Journal of Educational Development in China, 28(3), 109-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jedchina.2011.04.005.