Nawarat Phayungkij. The family environment of bi-cultural adolescents at International Schools in Bangkok and periphery . Master's Degree(Population Education). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2004.
The family environment of bi-cultural adolescents at International Schools in Bangkok and periphery
Abstract:
Interracial families and mixed-race children are population forms having been
emerged in Thailand for many decades, and these days they have been made more
apparent by the expansion of international schools.
This survey research aimed to examine the family environment of bi-cultural
adolescents comprised of three main dimensions – relationship, personal growth, and
system maintenance – and to compare the family environment based on the different
family factors and cultural factors. The family factors included: 1) parental marital status,
2) number of siblings, 3) family type and 4) family leading role (father & mother). The
cultural factors included: 1) nationality of the father 2) nationality of the mother
3) religion, and 4) state of being bi-cultural. The sample group numbered 296 students
studying at medium sized international middle schools. In this research I used a
questionnaire adapted from a standard questionnaire as well as statistical analysis.
(percentage, average, standard deviation, t-test and one way ANOVA).
The findings showed that the overall family environment of bi-cultural
adolescents was moderately favorable. Comparison in each dimension revealed that the
personal growth dimension of the family environment was most favorable, followed by
the system maintenance and relationship dimensions.Those adolescents who reported that
their father and mother shared the leading role equally had a more favorable family
environment than those whose mother was in the leading role (0.05). As for the
comparison of cultural factors, Buddhist adolescents, overall and in the personal growth
dimension had a less favorable environment than the Christian and Muslim adolescents.
The research found that family leading role and religion were related to the
family environment, thus confirming the importance of these two components to family
quality. If the concerned parties can use the combination of these two factors to further
develop the quality of families, e.g.using the religious activities as the center to cultivate
mutual roles of the spouses, it will be beneficial to a certain extent.