This presentation is based on findings from a survey-based inquiry which was conducted to gather information on the beliefs and attitudes of urban Indian parents toward child rearing and education. The objective of this study was to understand the influence of globalization on (un)shifting notions of childhood by examining parents' perceptions on adult-child relationships including those with extended family; parents’ attitudes with regard to the education of their young children; and parents’ preferences for the skills and behaviors which in their view were important for their children to learn. The discussion will trace traditional and modern influences that shape current beliefs and practices of Indian parents.

Dr. Amita Gupta is a professor of early childhood education and former department chair in the School of Education at The City College of New York, CUNY. She earned a doctoral degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College. She has been in the field of early childhood education for more than thirty years with extensive cross-cultural experience in teacher education, preschool classroom teaching, and school administration in urban schools in the U.S. and in Asia. Dr. Gupta teaches courses at the Undergrad, Masters and Doctoral levels on critical perspectives on childhood and pedagogy, multicultural education, curriculum design, and child development. Dr. Gupta’s interdisciplinary research interests combine the fields of postcolonial theory; international and comparative education; and urban education. Her scholarship highlights diverse and cross-cultural perspectives emphasizing the themes of socio-cultural-historical constructivism in teaching and learning; and the impact of globalization on early childhood teacher preparation and practice. She has published extensively in journals, has authored several books on early childhood education, and has been invited to speak internationally in the UK, Denmark, Slovakia, Indonesia, China, Singapore, India, Qatar, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, as well as several universities within the US.