Parenting Trends in the UAE

This assignment analyzes how evolving societal trends, particularly technology use and social dynamics, are impacting parenting styles in the UAE. It explores the influence of factors like increased social media engagement and reliance on caregivers on parent-child interactions. The report also considers traditional social norms within the region and their potential effects on modern child-rearing practices.

Changing parental norms in
the UAE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
1. Changes and evolution in parenting norms .................................................................................3
2. Impact of changes .......................................................................................................................3
3. Social norms influencing child rearing .......................................................................................4
4. Social challenges within the UAE ..............................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6
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INTRODUCTION
Social norms are termed as criteria or standard of behaviour among the individual that is
predominant in their culture (Moussa-Inaty and De La Vega, 2013). These are mainly shaped and
mould by the belief and values provided by the parents, religious affiliation, surrounding
activities, mass media etc. therefore, with the changing scenario there is constant change in the
social norms that impact the parental style in the UAE. The present research paper is about the
changing social norms related with parental tactics and styles.
1. CHANGES AND EVOLUTION IN PARENTING NORMS
The UAE mainly have traditional Islamic societies in which the children are detected to
be attached with the family members as well as communities. Therefore, in the contemporary
educated scenario both mother and father working full time for meeting the financial requirement
of family members thus, it directly impact in amending parenting norms within the UAE region.
Parents are consider as most of the important aspect in the life of children as it ensure their
proper growth and development (Al Nuaimi, Chowdhury and Katsioloudes, 2015). The different
form of parental style include authoritative parenting as well as permissive parenting styles that
both outcome in changing the parental norms. It has been assessed that authoritative parental
style focuses on high controlling attitude towards the children so that children may not get
distracted (Parental Involvement in the Education of Their Children in Dubai, 2012). On the
other hand, another parenting styles within the UAE may include permissive style in which they
have less control on their children as well as they do not engage in the activities of punishment
that outcome in changing the parenting norms.
Whereas, with the increasing educational societies in the UAE there is evolution or
change in the parenting norms that is there is constant increase in the number of hiring nannies to
the babies or children as both the parents engage in their professional activities (Baker, 2013).
Therefore, this outcome in changing the parental norms within the Islamic region.
2. IMPACT OF CHANGES
From the above changes in the parental styles as well as changing in the parental norms it
positively as well as negatively impact on the behaviour of children. For instance, hiring or
nannies for the babies and children is consider as positive approach for the parents those who are
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working for the full time. As, it results in supporting and assisting their children when the parents
are out of their homes (S. Baker and Blaik Hourani, 2014). With the positive impact it might
sometime also results in impacting negative on the mindset and behaviour of children as they
would feel disconnected from their parents and it builds the negative image of their parents in the
mind of child. Moreover, with the changing parental style it might also impact on the individual
and children.
3. SOCIAL NORMS INFLUENCING CHILD REARING
Child rearing as well as parenting are similar to each other as it ensure procedure related
with supporting the individual or children through providing them emotional as well as social
support that assists in attaining development and growth of child to adulthood. Therefore, there
are different social norms that impact and influences the child rearing within UAE include the
values and belief that are provided by the parents (Haimi and Lerner, 2016). For instance, in the
middle east region as well as in the UAE region the parents are most likely to promote the
conventional or traditional values related with the virtue and morality that ensure proper
upbringing among their children.
Along with this, another social norms that influences the child rearing within the UAE
region is good social networking of the parents within the community (Moussa-Inaty and De La
Vega, 2013). With the effective social networking it support the parents in reviewing the styles
and parental norms of others so that they may implement them among their children to ensure
their proper growth and development. Therefore, it is stated that with the existence of social
relationship it might results in enhancing the social cohesion through which parents ensure
proper activities within child rearing.
On the other hand, another cultural and social norms that influences the child rearing
within the UAE include level of attachment and independence provided by parents (Parents must
be more involved in children lives, 2014). Therefore, it is said that cultural and social norms
mainly assists in determining the actual level of attachment of parent with the children.
4. SOCIAL CHALLENGES WITHIN THE UAE
Within UAE it has been monitored that whether it is clinic or supermarket or mall the
children are carried by nannies and the parent walk distance away. With the increasing hiring of
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nannies it might impact the lives of children. Therefore, in this situation if children got hurt then
they would promptly run to nannies as they are more comfortable with them than their own
parents. Along with this, it also stated that another social challenges within UAE include
increasing aspect of social media that impact the parenting activities within the region (Parental
Involvement in the Education of Their Children in Dubai, 2012). In the modern context the
parents face distraction due to increasing use of social media as well as increasing gathering of
the friends it might impact the parenting form that ultimately impact the behavioural aspect of
children towards their parents. Thus, it ultimately results in spending lesser time in the home and
with their children. For instance it has been assessed that in Dubai caregiver such as maids and
nannies plays significant role in upbringing and development of the children so that all the
requirement and needs related with social as emotional gets accomplished.
CONCLUSION
From the above report it is concluded that with the changing scenario it might results in
changing the parental norms and regulation within the UAE. Along with this certain social norms
has been addressed that influences the child rearing within the region so that it may positively
impact the style of parenting that ultimately results in upbringing and development of the
children.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Al Nuaimi, S., Chowdhury, H. and Katsioloudes, M. I., 2015. Participative decision-making and
job satisfaction for teachers in the UAE.International Journal of Educational
Management. 29(5). pp.645-665.
Baker, F. S., 2013. Putting children on the path to becoming responsible adults: the perspective
of one parent living in the United Arab Emirates.Childhood Education. 89(5). pp.290-295.
Haimi, M. and Lerner, A., 2016. The Impact of Parental Separation and Divorce on the Health
Status of Children, and the Ways to Improve it. Journal of Clinical & Medical
Genomics, 2016.
Moussa-Inaty, J. and De La Vega, E., 2013. From Their Perspective: Parental Involvement in the
UAE. International Journal of Sociology of Education. 2(3). pp.292-312.
S. Baker, F. and Blaik Hourani, R., 2014. The nature of parental involvement in the city of Abu
Dhabi in a context of change: Nurturing mutually responsive practice. Education, Business
and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues. 7(4). pp.186-200.
Online
Parental Involvement in the Education of Their Children in Dubai. 2012. [Online]. Available
through:
<http://khda.gov.ae/CMS/WebParts/TextEditor/Documents/Parental_Involvement_in_the_
Education.pdf>. [Accessed on 26th December 2016].
Parents must be more involved in children lives. 2014. [Online]. Available through:
<http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/parents-must-be-more-
involved-in-childrens-lives>. [Accessed on 26th December 2016].
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