Personal well-being, kinship tie, and mother-infant and father-infant interactions in single-wage and dual-wage families in New Delhi, India
Roopnarine, J.; Talukder, E.J.in, D.J.shi, P.S.ivastav, P.
Journal of marriage and the family 54(2): 293-301
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-2445 DOI: 10.2307/353061Document Number: 334423
Fifty-four dual-wage and 34 single-wage Indian couples were observed during interactions with their infant children in their homes in New Delhi, India. The couples also were asked to assess their personal well-being and extent of social contacts with kinship members. Analyses examined sex-of-parent, sex-of-infant and family structure differences in parent-infant interactions and the association between personal well-being and kinship tie and parent-infant interactions. The results confirmed traditional patterns of involvement with babies irrespective of family structure, and differential maternal involvement with babies by family structure. Personal well-being and kinship ties were good predictors of object-mediated play between mothers and infants and of mothers' positive style with babies. The data suggest minor changes in parent-infant interaction as a function of wives' employment outside the home.