Some Demographic Variables and their Relationship to the Prevailing Patterns of Socialization among Families in Medina

Abstract

The study aimed to demonstrate the impact of some demographic variables (the age and educational level of the parents, the level of family income, the number of children in the family) on family formation patterns of Saudi families in Medina. The study used a descriptive analytical method, and its sample consisted of the 500 families. A questionnaire that contained 40 questions was used and distributed using four basic patterns: democracy, domination, receptivity, and negligence. The results indicated that parents in the lowest level of education are more commonly used to typical negligence and domination, and mothers at the lowest educational level are more commonly used to typical receptivity and negligence. The study also revealed no differences in socialization patterns attributable to the age group of the father, and that mothers with higher age group are more commonly used to democratic styles, while there were no differences in the rest of the patterns, with reference to this variable. Results also revealed that families with low economic levels are more commonly used to typical negligence and domination, and large families are more commonly used to democratic styles. The study recommended the necessity to hold seminars, arrange awareness programs, and include family education in the curriculum.