Level of Responsibility among Young Adults in Bangladesh

Abstract

Youth’ is the most beautiful and dynamic phase of a person's life. A young adult, with his or her feelings, thoughts, and imaginations, develops ideas and forms visions for himself or herself and also for the society they belong to. Conversely, the social context within which young adults interact also plays a vital role in shaping their ways of thinking and thus their day-to-day actions. Change is inevitable. Social changes that take place may bring greater social good or may result in disastrous consequences. As history reveals, such changes lie in the hands of the young segment of society in most cases. To bring about the changes and face the challenges, young adults should be provided with opportunities to prepare themselves and act responsibly. In Bangladesh, roughly 49 million people are between the ages of 18 and 35. They constitute the vast majority of the total population and are categorised as ‘youth’ by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB). In Bangladesh, there is a growing concern regarding a lack of vision and thoughtful action among the youth. Research on youth is a relatively recent phenomenon. Very few academic studies have been undertaken in only a few disciplines. Findings from research conducted in Bangladesh reveal that family values are diminishing while the media is creating higher expectations in life. The desire for expensive outwear, technologically advanced electronic devices, fashion statements, and entertainment is found to be liable for leading to a higher degree of frustration among the young adults of Bangladesh. However, high degrees of expectation and optimism about them are also frequently asserted. Hence, concerns for frustration among young adults, society’s high expectations of them, various relevant factors, and an insufficient academic study on youth set the groundwork for this study. This study was conducted to reveal the extent to which young adults are aware of their roles and responsibilities. Hence, the burning questions were, ‘What is happening in reality?’ and ‘What factors are leading to the existing extent of responsibility among young adults?’. In the context of Bangladesh, this paper attempted to find answers to these questions.
The specific objectives of this study were: 1) to identify the existing extent of responsibility among young adults in higher education in Bangladesh towards themselves, their families, others, and their romantic partner; 2) to identify the factors responsible for their existing level of responsibility; and 3) to propose recommendations. A theoretical foundation of two major models, the transtheoretical Model’ and the Social-Ecological model, had been considered to define the
current position of young adults and to identify the solutions to the causes of lack of vision and responsibility in this study. The field-level realities had been identified through case studies and interviews, along with questionnaire surveys, as tools used in this study. The major findings regarding factors responsible for low levels of responsibility among most of the respondents included familial and cultural factors. The proposed recommendations for promoting their existing extent of responsibility include:
• Enhancing the sense of patriotism
• Encouraging a joint family system to promote moral values
• Persuading family members to render counselling and support
• Incorporating moral education into the national curriculum
• Creating the environment to facilitate community-level activities and political participation
• Improving economic, political, social, and cultural stances that favour a heightened sense of responsibility
These findings provoke further in-depth study necessary for a better understanding of the issue. The theoretical importance of the study lies in its contribution to identifying vital factors necessary for raising the level of responsibility among young adults. Additionally, it shows the path for further research on a larger sample that would have good implications for policymaking at a practical level.