The influence of social taboos on socialization of students: Evidence from a developing country

Abstract

There is evidence that students in Pakistani schools face many problems due to rigid social structure and strict formalisation of roles and rules. This situation is broadly supported by the social norm which compels students to compromise on their broad social development and thus many students lose their individual identity or freedom. This paper examines the effect of social taboos on socialization of students at secondary school level in Pakistan. Previous literature on the effects of social taboos on socialization of students in Pakistani society is scanty. This paper contributes to existing literature by inquiring the perceptions of teachers about the influence of two dimensions of social development: specific socialization and general socialization of students. For data collection, a self-created survey questionnaire was administered to 300 randomly selected secondary school teachers from district Malakand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. For data analysis, linear regression analysis was employed. Findings of the study revealed a significant negative correlation between social taboos and socialization of students and its two dimensions: specific socialisation and general socialisation. On the basis of the results, the study concludes that social taboos are negative predictors of socialization of students.