TRANSFORMATION OF FAMILY VALUES AMONG YOUTH IN GWALIOR

Abstract

The family remains the primary setting in which young people learn responsibility, cooperation, respect, gender roles, emotional behaviour, and expectations regarding marriage and elder care. In Gwalior, these values are being renegotiated under the influence of higher education, digital media, urban lifestyles, employment aspirations, migration, and the growth of nuclear households. This paper examines the transformation of family values among youth in Gwalior through a sociological framework that distinguishes structural change from value change. It argues that smaller households and greater personal autonomy do not necessarily indicate the rejection of family relationships. Rather, many young people appear to favour a negotiated family model in which emotional attachment and filial responsibility continue, while authority, marital choice, gender expectations, and career decisions become more egalitarian. The paper reviews relevant literature, identifies a clear research gap, presents one focused objective with corresponding hypotheses, and proposes a mixed-method research design for youth aged 18 to 25 residing in Gwalior. A structured family-values questionnaire, supported by semi-structured interviews, is recommended for examining the influence of education, digital media exposure, family type, and gender. The proposed analysis uses descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation, regression, and thematic interpretation. The paper concludes that family transformation in Gwalior is best understood as negotiated continuity: traditional emotional bonds remain important, but their expression increasingly depends on dialogue, consent, and shared decision-making.