Abstract

The study aimed to find out the difference between self-regulation and social adjustment in the children of on-job women and housewives. The study was quantitative in nature and was delimited to higher secondary students of Rawalpindi division of Punjab. The sample of the study comprised of six hundred students of on-job women and housewives each of private and public colleges of Rawalpindi division. A self-developed questionnaire was managed to collect data about self-regulation and social adjustment of students. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with the help of SPSS version 22. Chi-Square test statistics and Pillai's Trace statistics were performed. The study concluded that children of on-job women have more ability to regulate their self as compared to children of housewives. It was also concluded that children of on-job women are socially well adjusted as compared to children of housewives.

Key Words

On-job Women, Self-Regulation, Housewives, Chi-Square, Pillai's Trace Test, Social            Adjustment

Introduction

Women play an important role as a mother and mother play a vital role in a child’s development. No doubt, all mothers are precious and valuable either working or non-working. Due to the male dominating society women are always neglected by their health wealth, education and security but still they work at home and outside the home for the bright future of their country, nation and for their family while playing different roles such as teacher, doctor, worker, banker, tailor and housekeeper. 

When human lives together, they learn from each other. And this learning helps them to grow socially and assess one’ adjustment capability within the community. Parents, friends and teachers are the major sources of social growth (Berns, Laibson, & Lowenstien, 2007). Adjustment is a continuous process to maintain the balance between wishes and social expectations. Adjustment helps one to adjust himself in accordance with the environment, and he responds to all those situations that reinforce him (Dhingra & Colleagues, 2005). 

Parents are the only figure that shapes the personality of their children. Mother’s importance can never be ignored in upbringing and development of the child’s personality. In today’s world, the mother has too many challenges. Working along with their men and focusing on the development of their children personality remains a very challenging task for them, especially in Pakistan. Khan and Hassan (2015) mentioned the role of mother as bread earner along with the caretaker of the family. Gold and Andres (1978) designed a study to find out the relationship between social adjustment and self-regulation among the children of working and non--working mothers. Mostly working mothers stress over a misconception that their child may lack emotional adjustment and development because they cannot pay attention to their children as compared to non-working mothers (Halpern, 2005). 

For the sake of society, working mothers are more beneficial than non-working mothers. Working mothers mostly spend for the better education, nutrition and health of their family (Abbi, Christian, Gujral, & Gopaldas, 1991). Becker (1985) highlighted the importance of working women in the development of the economy of the country. Working women as a mean of increase in the household income also play a vital role to increase the workforce of the nation. Self-regulation is highly related to emotional development. The way one behaves and acts is the reflection of his thoughts about himself. Self-regulation is the basis that differentiates humans from one another; every human being has a unique concept of self-regulation (Shukla, 2014). 

Some kids on the risk will show very clear interactive behaviours on a regular basis while many kids who are not on any kind of risk find that attachment or interactions are not necessary to show the intensity of the behaviours. Attachment theory has three basic attachment pattern (1) avoidant (2) resistance (3) secure.  If three basic needs are fulfilling, then child plays a vital role in society. There is a hell of a difference between self-regulation and social adjustment of working women’s kids and non-workings. It is intended to highlight the said differences in this research (Norfin, 2011). 

Ryan and Shin (2005) defined adjustment as a satisfactory relation of an organism to its surrounding. Even though various concepts of adjustment depending upon the meaning that the people perceived from the word of satisfaction and contentment or what comprises of a satisfactory and contented relationship may mean adaption need reduction (Andrew, 2009). 

Adjustment is a process through which requirements, expectations, and situations are fulfilled. A person does not always get success according to his/her wishes and efforts and aspirations; the reason for this lies either in an unfavourable situation or in the limited capabilities and the abilities of the individual. When he/she fails in this effort, some abnormality may come to the surface his/her behaviour. There are so many factors which have an effect on the process of adjustment level of aspiration, socioeconomic status, family setting or family system and environment, school environment, anxiety and frustration (Mahmoudi, 2012). 

Webster (2007) defines a social adjustment as the process of changing one’s behaviour in changed circumstances or an altered environment in order to fulfil psychological and social needs, functional and often transitory alteration by which an orgy adopts to its immediate environment compare adaptation a means (as a mechanism) by which things are adjusted to one another. When human lives together, they learn from each other. And this learning helps them to grow socially and assess one’ adjustment capability within the community. Parents, friends and teachers are the major sources of social growth. 

Adjustment is a continuous process to maintain the balance between wishes and social expectations. Adjustment helps one to adjust himself in accordance with the environment, and he responds to all those situations that reinforce him. 

Measures of social adjustment are generally of two types. One type is more or less an inventory of a recent individual status across various domains of life. Commonly the appraised areas include medical, emotional, academic, vocational and legal status. The second type of social adjustment measure involves the assessment of the global traits and the moral behaviours that are more closely tied conceptually to social functioning and interpersonal relationship. Examples include the measures of reciprocated friendship, global self-worth, peer acceptance, rejected sociometry status and peer victimization (Reynolds & Kalnphaus, 2003). 

Adjustment has the various types that are different from each other such as academic, social, and emotional adjustment. The academic adjustment is a vast term which includes various concepts of which intellectual level of students is a part, not whole. Engrossing efforts to fulfil the academic demands and the requirements, intrinsic motivation for learning, clarity in objective setting with its achievement and sense of pleasure in connection to academic environment are also significant elements in the academic adjustment. 

Social adjustment means to become incorporated in social life, forming the support network and managing the freedom and liberty. Emotional adjustment is another type of adjustment may be identified as frustration, distress in mental and somatic domains, and fear of upcoming events, poor self-esteem and depression. 

Webster (2007) defines a social adjustment as the process of fulfilling mental and social needs enhance adaptability skills required for the immediate environment through changing individual’s behaviour in a different environment. Here adaptation is considered as a mechanism due to which things are adjusted in relation to one another. Gold and Andres (1978) showed a comparative study toward bargain obtainable the connection between social adjustment and self-regulation among the youngsters of employed and non-employed mothers. Mostly working mothers stress over a misconception that their child may lack emotional adjustment and development because they cannot pay attention to their children as equated to non-working mothers (Kohen, 2011). 

In preadolescence years, social adjustment is considered the core of mental health, evident from the research literature. During the communication period, children’s social skills, their age group and sociometry are framed as a part of social adjustment. In accordance with social and personal demands, it is a clear-cut learning social behaviour. Social connections and socialization process are forethoughts of social adjustment. 

Peltier (2011) described a well worse psychosocial development theory among all the personality theories in psychology. The whole lifespan was discussed in the perspective of social experience in his theory. Every stage is outlined with conflict experience, which shapes the development of each individual in a unique way. However, conflicts are characterized by two qualities; it helps to develop a psychological quality or failure to develop that quality. In adolescence, around 13 or 14 to about 20, the individual experience fifth psychosocial crisis, Learning Identity versus Identity Diffusion (Fidelity). During this stage, adolescent learns a satisfactory and happy answer to the question of “Who am I”. The mature time perspective is developed with the passage of time during successful early adolescence and acquires self-certainty without any trace of self-doubt and self-consciousness. In this stage, constructive roles are tried by adolescents instead of negative ones to avoid delinquency to form “negative identity” (Crain, 2015). 

Carvel (2001) conducted a research to find out those positive changes in living standards brought by working mothers’ helps to ward off negative parental education, and it adds to child’s success. Figes (2001) described in his study that nonworking parents cannot translate the benefit of getting the education to their kids. 

Subjects were assessed with attitude and value scale as a component of a battery of tests. The results of this study show that subjects with gifted intelligence scored higher on many of the adjustment scales than their chronological age fellows. On the contrary, they showed improved scores than their mental age fellows on some of the social adjustment subsets. It was evident from the results the chronological and mental age fellows of gifted participants are far behind from their intellectually superior fellows in personal and social dealings (Ahmad, Muzaffar & Javaid, 2016). 

Jeffrey (2006) conducted a research to test the end product of reductions in the anxiety of the children over time through participation in intervention program of the cognitive behavioural domain by showing improved educational performance and social work. 

Ryan and Shim (2005) conducted the study on young adolescents of middle school about social adjustment and prosaically achieved targets. Two studies examined the various aspects of adolescent social motivation affected by the amount of the social achievement targets with different directions towards social competencies, the first Study had the sample of 153 students of the 6th-grade young adolescent class recognized the different orientation for emerging and signifying set of social skills exhibited in their responses to open-ended questions regarding prosaic behavior and social competency targets. 

The 2nd study consisted of the 217 students of the 6th grade appraised using the latest survey measure of social attainment goals for an early adolescent.  Self and teacher-reported social adjustment which includes best friend quality, anxiousness, aggression, popularity and social worry are linked to various social achievement goals, and these goals are not influenced by perceived social adjustment or social competency. 

Self-regulation is a skill which enables an individual in the management of emotions, develop and maintain focus, command bodily functions. Self-regulation is central to early childhood development, and it is evident from each nook and corner of human behaviour (Shonkoff & Phillips 2000). 

Bowlby (1969) identified a variety of parenting behaviour as a helpful means to develop positive behaviour in children. The parenting styles were termed as determinant of self-regulation of emotions among children. According to these styles, Authoritative style was highlighted with warm as well as demanding relationship. The Authoritarian style is also demanding but not emotionally warm. Indulgent parenting style is highly responsive and low in setting demands. The uninvolved parenting style is low in both warmth and demands. 

The skill of self-regulation is inevitable for emotional well-being. It is the skill which enables oneself for best long-term interest and consistent with deepest values. Here it is important to describe that breach one’s deepest values generates anxiety, guilt and shame which deteriorates well-being. It is the ability which brings calmness to your mind during your unrest times and helps you to enjoy happiness when you are in a low mood. If planning of improvement in self-regulation is one’s interest than the physiology of emotions is important to understand. 

The self-regulation techniques help to activate and encourage participating in the learning process to those students who are least responsive and active in their academic instruction. The learning process must be viewed by students as a fruitful activity, and its onus lies on them in a proactive approach instead of viewing learning as an external event which is happening due to instruction (Blair & Raza, 2007). As soon as the student takes a leading role in their education makes them their own master (Khalil, Butt, Haider, Naweed & Khan, 2015). 

Self-regulation techniques are used in various fields of life. The effective and efficient task accomplishment is only possible due to self-regulation, and it transforms individuals to successful beings. Planning of execution of any method and monitoring its effectiveness. In addition to this, the evaluation process and further strategies to be employed are also designed meanwhile. The teaching of self-regulation is reserved specifically for those who are not using it and not doing well in their academics. 

The application of self-regulation techniques improves performance. Its techniques make the individual self-dependent and efficient performer. For instance, successful students keep a personal check on their own learning. While reading, a considerate learner will recheck a passage which is not fully comprehended by rereading, questioning or summarizing it. On the contrary, if a student with poor self-regulation is reading and finds anything difficult may leave the book or skip the topic ignoring the goal of learning. Students with learning disabilities are often unable to evaluate and control their own learning process, which renders them passive learners. To overcome their deficiencies, they depend on others for the regulation of their learning process and successful completion of the task. They lag behind in executive control functions which are inevitable for the accomplishment of complex educational goals independently. 

Feelings are a component of emotions felt at a conscious level but still misapprehended. Feelings are far more complex than motivation which is a very basic and simple idea. Feelings are dynamic and directed by moods like depression, physiological states including tiredness and hunger and sensations like discomfort, warmth, pain, cold, pleasure and pain. All such states are experienced like emotions that are why psychological meaning is attached to the experience that is uncomfortable. The uneasiness is pity close to the negative emotions, and it creates confusion as much it is linked to feelings instead of any other psychological state. 

Objectives of the Study

Following were objectives of the study: 

1. To find out the difference between self-regulation and social adjustment in the children of on job women and housewives. 

2. To compare the level of self-regulation and social adjustment in the children of on job women and housewives. 

Research Questions of the Study 

1. Ho: The children of on job women have no more ability to regulate their self as compared to children of housewives. 

2. Ho: The children of on job women are not socially adjusted as compared to children of housewives. 




Procedure of the Study 

The study was quantitative in nature, and the research design was causal-comparative was adopted. The population of the study was consisted of male and female college’s students of Rawalpindi division (Gay, Mills, & Airasian, 2009). The age range of the students was Adolescence 12 to 18 years. Children of on-job women were 600 and 600 children of housewives were selected randomly as the sample of the study from both types of colleges, public as well as private colleges of Rawalpindi division. A questionnaire was developed with the mutual understanding of researchers and validated before the collection of data. The reliability was assured 0.86, and the returning rate was found 90%. 

Data Analysis and Presentation of Data

Table 1. Responses (%) of Students about Statements of Social Adjustments with Chi-Square Test Results.

S. No	Statements related to Social Adjustments	Yes (%)	No (%)	?2	P
1	Avoid from friends in open areas	63	37	68.5	<.001
2	Shyness	58	42	26.13	<.001
3	Asking questions	67	33	125.39	<.001
4	Organization of social meetings	41	59	33.43	<.001
5	Conversation with individuals	56	44	17.63	<.001
6	Favouritism	44	56	15.65	<.001
7	Element of loneliness in crowd	47	53	4.54	0.033
8	Difficulty in learning	46	54	6.53	0.011
9	Anxiety in talking	49	51	0.73	0.394
10	Friendly	58	42	30	<.001
11	Taking an interest in celebration of events	71	29	187.5	<.001
12	Feel hesitation	58	42	28.68	<.001

 

Table 1 shows responses (%) of students about statements of social adjustments with chi-square test results. Social Adjustments scale consisted of 12 statements; there were three statements about which the results of chi-square were not significant. It means respondents were undecided or equal in number for these statements, i.e. 1) Anxiety in talking (No=49%, Yes=51%, p=.394).  2) Difficulty in learning (No=46%, Yes=54%, p=.011).  3. Element of loneness (No=47%, Yes=53%, p=.033).  The responses of students on nine statements, there was a significant difference in the proportion of yes and no options. In five statements responses were more than 50% in favour of no while in seven statements responses were more than 50% in favour of yes. Overall status of social adjustment of students was not up to mark; especially girls were low in social adjustment than boys.

 

Table 2. Statistics of Social Adjustment and its Subscales, Self-Regulation and its Subscales

Scales	Min.	Max.	Mean	SD	Skewness	Kurtosis
Social Adjustment	9	95	53	14	0.281	-0.17
Academic	0	100	57	27	-0.149	-0.78
Social	0	100	54	18	-0.106	-0.30
Emotional	0	100	48	22	-0.035	-0.54
Self-Regulation	20	80	53	10	0.051	0.30
Managing Emotion	20	80	54	11	-0.056	-0.22
Maintaining Focus	20	80	52	12	0.002	-0.35

Table 2 shows the summary statistics of social adjustment and its subscales, Self-regulation and its subscales. The average score of social adjustment of students (Mean=53, SD=14) reflects that level of social adjustment was at a moderate level while its components, i.e. Academic adjustment relatively better than other components and level of emotional adjustment was lowest among others. The average score of Self-regulation was also near to social adjustment, and its components were also similar to overall self-regulation.  It was concluded that social adjustment and self-regulation among students were at a moderate level.

 

Table 3. Multivariate Analysis of Social Adjustment and Self-Regulation using Pillai's Trace

Effect	Value	F	Hypothesis df	Error df	P
Women Job Status	.024	12.936	2	1064	<.001
Gender	.011	6.084	2	1064	.002
Women Education	.010	1.763	6	2130	.103
Women Job Status * Gender	.010	5.180	2	1064	.006
Women Education * Gender	.011	1.932	6	2130	.072
Women Job Status * Women Education	.007	1.162	6	2130	.324
Women Job Status * Gender * Women Education	.004	1.054	4	2130	.378

 

Table 3 shows the results of Multivariate Analysis of Social Adjustment and Self-Regulation. Multivariate statistics are used when the independent variables (IVs) and the dependent variables (DVs) present and they are in a correlation with one another keeping variation in the degrees. The multivariate methods are more complex than univariate by at least an order of magnitude—their gender and women education on Social Adjustment and Self-Regulation. Interaction effect of women job status * gender * women education was not significant (p=.378) and interaction effect of women job status * mother education were also not significant (p=.324). The interaction effect of women education * gender was not significant (p=.072).  The interaction effect of women job status * gender was significant (p=.006). The main effects (women job status, gender and women education) were significant at ?=.05. Multivariate Analysis revealed a significant difference between the main and the interaction of variables. Univariate analysis was conducted on separate dependent variables for all independent variables.    

Conclusions

No doubt educated and on-job women are facing challenges but are useful for the family, society, country and for the world. Women were educated, post-graduated, graduated, intermediate and matric. There was a difference in self-regulation and social adjustment for mother’s education. There was a significant effect of mother education on the academic activities of the children. There was no significant effect of mother education on emotions and managing emotion. The children became self-workers in the presence of their mothers at home. They were having no option other than doing their work by themselves. The tasks included were doing their homework, making and eating breakfast on their own, packing up and getting ready for school, etc. When children do their tasks on their own, they become more independent and responsible. Hence, no dependency from the children is left on the mothers or family, and they become more cooperative. According to the results, self-regulation found more in the on-job women children. It was hypothesized that children of on-job women have no more ability to regulate their self than children of housewives. The children of on-job women become smart and active as compared to the children of housewives. It was also found that the children of on-job women are well adjusted as compared to housewives’ children. 

Recommendations

This research study may be conducted at a higher level with more geographical coverage, and with more variability. Very need to accept the educated, and on-job women are facing challenges but are useful for the family, society, country and for the world. On-job women may live with confidence, try to convince other women and to be proud of working and should be very careful about self-respect. 

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