ANALYSIS OF THEMES OF CHILDRENS READERS { URDU IN TERMS OF ACHIEVEMENT, AFFILIATION AND POWER MOTIVES IN PAKISTAN
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Date
1985
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Department of Psychology, University of Peshawar
Abstract
The present research was designed to study the
dominant motivational trends in Pakistani society by means
of thematic analysis of popular Urdu short stories for children
written by Pakistani writers during the period 1947-82. For
this purpose a total of 250 short stories were selected fror.
different children's magazines and readers published in Pakistan
during this period. The stories were further categorized into
three time periods, 1947-1958, 1959-1970 and 1971-1982 according
to their probable years of publication. These periods roughly
correspond to the three phases of political development in
Pakistan. The first time period contains 72 stories, the second
has 79 and the third contains 99 stories.
An exploratory study of 22 children's text book stories
in Urdu, published by the N.W.F.P. Text Book Board from 1981
onward was also undertaken to see if the “text book" stories
were any different form "popular" ones.
The stories were analyzed in terms of n Achievement,
n Affiliation and n Power. The guide for coding the motives
was McClelland's method of “coding historical source materials
for motivational variables" (1975). These motives, as borne
out by previous studies, are productive of great societal
consequences including economic development, war, peace and
conquest (McClelland; 1961 and 1975).Results of the present research show that among
the above three motives, n Power, on the whole is highest,
n Achievement is lowest and n Affiliation is in between,
and these differences are significant (Table Nos.5 and 1.0).
That n Achievement is consistently extremely low, while
n Affiliation follows n Power rather tamely, perhaps as a
partially balancing factor is also clearly borne out by
Table No.5 and Figure No.IvCertain other aspects of these results e.g., aifferences. ‘i
between magazines and readers, have also been highlighted in
different tables and figure. Figure No. V and VI are
particularly worth looking at in this connection.
An attempt has been made to discuss these results
in terms of value/incentives and expectancies found in
Pakistani society. In general, the expectancy— value theory
has been found to provide an appropriate interpretative
framework for these results.
Towards the close of the thesis, some of the practical
implications of the present study and suggestions for future
research have been offered.