Research Cell Presentation by Dr. Rupa Ghosh

On November 24, 2023, the Research Cell of Loreto College, Kolkata organized a Faculty Paper Presentation. Dr Rupa Ghosh, Assistant Professor, Department of Economics presented a paper entitled “Parental Academic Involvement and Educational Aspiration: An Investigation into the Lives of the Domestic Workers of Kolkata.”

Dr. Ghosh’s paper highlighted that education is the best gift that parents can give their wards as it not only equips a child with cognitive and non-cognitive skills but also helps them to become economically productive and financially independent. The issue draws special attention when the parents belong to the underprivileged and poverty-stricken sections of society, due to which they lack the resources to be academically involved in their wards’ education. Dr. Ghosh’s study focused on the domestic-worker parents who, while struggling with acute poverty, deprivation, and illiteracy, sacrifice their own family and child-care needs.

Using self-made scales and a descriptive survey research design, the study utilized random sampling of 600 domestic-worker parents to investigate the interrelationships and various factors that affect the academic involvement and educational aspirations of the domestic workers of Kolkata. The results reflected that time, money, and education are the most important factors determining the academic involvement of the parents. Money income and education also showed a positive influence on educational aspiration. The findings of the study could help educationists and policy makers to develop models and policies to sustain the interest of these workers in education and encourage greater academic involvement.