Attitude towards Education: A Study of Urban Mali Women in Maharashtra Shetty Jyoti1, Kurane Anjali2 1Documentation Officer, Research & Development Centre, Yashada 2Head, Department of Anthropology, University of Pune, Maharastra Online published on 28 September, 2013. Abstract Attitude refers to individual's feelings, thoughts and inclination to act towards some part of his surroundings. Theodarson and Theodarson (1969:19) “An attitude is an orientation towards certain objects including persons other than one self or situations”. Aruna Goel (2004:290) “Education develops basic skills and abilities and fosters a value system conducive to and in support of national development goals, both longterm and immediate” Though women constitute half of any country's human endowment, they are exploited in every walk of life. By using Proportionate Random Sampling the paper examines the attitude towards education of Urban Mali women of Pune. The study reveals, almost all felt that girls should be educated up to graduation, or post graduation, but not for making a career and if a good proposal comes inbetween she should be married. They felt that higher education of girls lead to dowry problems. Main reason to get educated was to be self supporting in times of need, to lead a sound domestic life. Among majority of the parent's marriage was important leading to early marriage of the respondents. Almost half were married by the age of twenty; some were married in between their graduation years.Almost all were against sending their daughters to hostels, reason being no one to supervise them, showing the traditional attitude regarding girl's movement. Majority felt that an educated mother is a better mother, but in actual practice much importance is not given to girl's education. Thus the sacred character of marriage, early marriage, dowry system, traditional restrictions regarding girl's movement, perception of future roles as wives and mothers came in the way of higher education among Mali women. Top |