Relationships play a significant role in forming and maintaining individual
behaviors, attitudes and values. With the existence of many kinds of interpersonal
relationships organised around neighbourhoods, friendships, schools and workplaces,
familial relationships are most influential. Parent-child relationships are specifically
very significant because of their early beginnings in life as well as their intensity
across various phases of the life course (Thornton, Orbuch, & Axinn, 1995).
The Convention on Rights of the Child given by the United Nations defines
the child as "a person below the age of 18 unless the laws of a particular country set
the legal age for adulthood younger" (Beijing Rules: Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights, 1985). The legal definition of a child in India
follows from the UN Convention itself, referring any person under the age of 18 years
as a child.
Research literature talks about parent-offspring relationships at the beginning
of child's life or at the end of parents' life (Hagestad, 1987). But, parent-child
relationships are equally impactful when the child is moving from the 'dependent on
parents' stage to independent adulthood. In their study of parent-offspring
relationships during the transition to adulthood, Thornton et al. (1995) collected data
from first-, second- and fourth born-white "children" in the age range of 18-23 years.
They were referred to as children since the research study aimed to study the
relationship between the parent and offspring during transition. Even if the life span
brings about changes in living arrangements of the individuals, they are still perceived
in the domain of parent-child relationship and is considered to be a highly enduring
relationship during the life course (Ha, 2010).
