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This study examined the differences between Chinese American and White American parents on childrearing viewpoints in the 21st century. Factors affecting their viewpoints on parenting styles, such as culture and parents’ beliefs and expectations were specifically considered. For White American parents, the parenting style mostly adopted is related to psychological wellbeing for adolescents called authoritative parenting. WhiteAmerican parents were found to be less controlling, show more encouragement of independence, and emphasize less achievement than Chinese American parents. For Chinese American parents, meanwhile, the parenting style mostly favored is related to the theme called authoritarian parenting. Chinese American parents were found to use strict rules, high expectations. They are highly demanding in their directions but are not typically responsive: they are more interested in strict obedience and provide a wellordered and structured environment. The research also revealed that culture has a big effect on how parents raise children because norms and standards differ from culture to culture. Moreover, this paper also demonstrated that it is difficult to evaluate whether parenting methods of Chinese American or white American parents are better. Both authoritarian childrearing of Chinese American parents and authoritative childrearing of White American parents have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, each person, with the role of parents should consider the benefits and drawbacks of both parenting methods to choose the most suitable one to parent their children.
i ABSTRACT This study examined the differences between Chinese American and White American parents on childrearing viewpoints in the 21 st century. Factors affecting their viewpoints on parenting styles, such as culture and parents’ beliefs and expectations were specifically considered. For White American parents, the parenting style mostly adopted is related to psychological well-being for adolescents called authoritative parenting. White-American parents were found to be less controlling, show more encouragement of independence, and emphasize less achievement than Chinese American parents. For Chinese American parents, meanwhile, the parenting style mostly favored is related to the theme called authoritarian parenting. Chinese American parents were found to use strict rules, high expectations. They are highly demanding in their directions but are not typically responsive: they are more interested in strict obedience and provide a well-ordered and structured environment. The research also revealed that culture has a big effect on how parents raise children because norms and standards differ from culture to culture. Moreover, this paper also demonstrated that it is difficult to evaluate whether parenting methods of Chinese American or white American parents are better. Both authoritarian child-rearing of Chinese American parents and authoritative child-rearing of White American parents have their own advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, each person, with the role of parents should consider the benefits and drawbacks of both parenting methods to choose the most suitable one to parent their children. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACCEPTANCE i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii ABSTRACT iii TABLE OF CONTENTS iv !"#$!% !&'%%()*+*) ,, -.#/!/0/1&'2/"1+)+3* 4-516778 0/&779!7)/!/ 10) !':+33;5/#"1/61":/!/!%4</ !/5/!#"1/(*)*() iii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Reasons for choosing the topic/ Rationale Child-rearing methods among parents have long interested child development professionals. Beginning with Baldwin’s classic study of child- rearing in 1948, child development researchers learned that parents could be classified according to various parenting styles (Chao, 2011). By associating these parenting styles with child outcomes, researchers have begun to understand which child-rearing attitudes and behaviors are predictive of more or less successful child development. This information has been vital in assisting child development professionals to teach parents more optimal methods for raising their children. Thus, research aimed at child-rearing attitudes has historically been important and continues to provide useful information for optimizing children’s development in the society. As American society becomes more diverse, with individuals from various social, ethnic, and immigrant/generational background, research on child-rearing attitudes becomes more critical. Child-rearing methods of Chinese Americans and White Americans tend to differ based on varying traditions and values. There was an article published under the headline “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” in the Wall Street Journal on January 8, 2011, contained excerpts from Amy Chua’s book (Amy Chua-Jr. Professor of Law at Yale Law School). In the book, she describes her efforts to give her children what she describes as a traditional, strict “Chinese” upbringing. This piece was controversial and attracted much attention from not just the people residing in America, but also a lot of people in other countries interested in this issue. Amy Chua’s work is also considered to touch the “nerve” of White Americans (Seal, 2011). There has been a mountain of speeches, works, articles, documents and various types of materials discussing child-rearing methods of different 1 cultures in the United States, especially since Amy Chua’s book with the title “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” was published in 2011. However, to date, very little literature systematically compares and contrasts different viewpoints on childrearing methods of white American parents and those of Chinese immigrant parents in the United States in the 21st century. In addition, the researchers have not focused on explaining the reasons why these differences existed based on their different beliefs and values. Therefore, this research will specifically focus on comparing and contrasting different viewpoints on child-rearing between Chinese American and White American parents, and discussing beliefs and values affecting these viewpoints in order to bridge cultural gaps between the cultures of White Americans with that of immigrant Chinese. With the rise in Chinese immigration to the United States, it is important to consider this culture and add to the body of knowledge in the area of child-rearing practices in the 21st century. Considering the above mentioned, the researcher made a decision to carry out a research named “Different viewpoints on child-rearing methods of Chinese American and White American parents in the United States in the 21st century.” 1.2 Research Question(s) or Objectives The research is aimed at answering the following questions: 1. What are the different viewpoints on child-rearing of Chinese American and White American parents in the 21st century? 2. What factors affect viewpoints on child-rearing of Chinese Americans and White Americans? 3. Which is better: Child-rearing methods of Chinese American parents or those of White American parents? 1.3 Research Methodology This research is carried out with secondary research method. The 2 research will collect relevant data from various reliable sources, both primary and secondary researches which are available on the Internet or in the libraries, including research reports, articles from reliable websites, magazines, books, journals. In the next step, the information collected will be analyzed, synthesized, compared and contrasted, and evaluated. Then, the conclusion for each research question will be drawn from the analysis of the researcher. Overall, this paper is carried out through following phases: Phase 1: Collecting data. Phase 2: Processing data: the data are analyzed, synthesized, compared, contrasted, and evaluated. Phase 3: Summarizing and concluding. 1.4 Scope of the study This study focuses on examining the differences between Chinese American and White American parents on childrearing viewpoints in the 21 st century and factors affecting their viewpoints on parenting styles, such as culture and parents’ beliefs and expectations are also considered. There may be other factors influencing on their parenting viewpoints such as socioeconomic status or parental education. However, in the scope of the graduation paper, they cannot be covered. 1.5 Significance of the research Once the study is completed, it is expected to be significant in a number of ways: In the first place, it will serve as a reference source for other scholars and researchers who are interested in the same or related topics. Secondly, this paper can serve as a supplementary material for those teachers and parents who are interested in teaching children when they need different viewpoints on the issue. Moreover, the study is also expected to set some basis for more 3 insightful and profound research for the students at HULIS on this issue in different countries in the world in general and in the USA in particular. 1.6 Organization of the research The first parts of the research are Acceptance, Acknowledgement, Abstract, and Table of contents. The acknowledgement part shows the researcher’s gratitude towards some people helping the researcher during finishing the study. The abstract presents very concise contents and results of the work done in the research. The table of contents lists the sections chapters, and corresponding page numbers. The main part of the research consists of six chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction (background of the study, research questions, research methodology, significance of the study). Chapter 2: An overview of Chinese Americans and White Americans in the USA and child-rearing methods. 2.1An overview of Chinese Americans and White Americans in the USA. 2.2An overview of child-rearing methods. Chapter 3: Different viewpoints on child-rearing methods of Chinese Americans and White Americans in the United States in the 21st century. 3.1 Viewpoints on child-rearing methods of White American parents 3.2 Viewpoints on child-rearing methods of Chinese American parents Chapter 4: Factors affecting viewpoints on child-rearing methods of Chinese American and White American parents. 4.1 Factors affecting viewpoints on child-rearing methods of White American parents 4.2 Factors affecting viewpoints on child-rearing methods of Chinese American parents. Chapter 5: Which child-rearing methods are better: child-rearing methods of Chinese American or White American parents? 4 Chapter 6: Conclusion 6.1 Major findings and contributions of the research 6.2 Limitations of the research 6.3 Suggestions for further studies 5 CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE 2.1 An overview of Chinese Americans and White Americans in the USA. 2.1.1 An overview of Chinese Americans in the USA. The Chinese were the first Asian group to arrive in significant numbers with the large scale immigration beginning in 1852 when 52,000 Chinese came that year alone (Fong, 2002). The first stop over for the Chinese as for some subsequent Asian groups was Hawaii and not California. Workers from China were imported to work on the sugar plantations and were preferred over the native Hawaiian workers by the plantation owners because the Chinese workers were seen as more hard- working, disciplined and efficient. In fact, one of the white supervisors in 1838 wrote to the owner of the plantation that “A colony of the Chinese would, probably, put the plantation in order” (Takaki 1989, p. 11). In addition to sugar plantation and rail road workers, there were merchants from China who migrated as well. In fact, when arriving in the U.S, these immigrants realized that there was not only rumoured gold in California, but there were also opportunities for employment. The stories of such opportunities and those of the success of many migrants were carried to the villages by the returning migrants reinforcing the motivation to emigrate. As early as 1870, the Chinese were 9 percent of California’s population and 25 percent of the state’s work force (Takaki, 1989). Most of the Chinese, came as “sojourners”, expecting to work for some time, earn money and then go back home (Bonacich, 1973). This “sojourner” image has been attributed by scholars as the reason for the unwillingness on part of Chinese to assimilate and as contributing to discrimination and exclusion of the Chinese (Kitano and Daniels 2001). The presence of Chinese laborers in California and Hawaii aroused great anti-Chinese sentiment during the period between 1850 and 1900, which resulted in the passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1892 for another ten year period and reenacted without temporal limits in 1902 (Kitano and Daniels, 2001). However, 6 officials, merchants, teachers, students, travelers and students of Chinese American citizens were still allowed to enter although subject to considerable harassment (Lyman, 1974). The Chinese Exclusion Act was finally repealed in 1943 and Chinese immigration rose to modest levels in the late 1940s and 1950s (Nee and Nee, 1972). Chinese immigration is often seen and, today, large populations of Chinese, either immigrants themselves or related to immigrants, are focused mainly in California and New York, though populations are growing elsewhere. Over the years, they have moved to the United States for many different reasons. (Mark Orwell, 2000) One of the major reasons for Chinese immigration to the U.S. is economics. Starting around 1849, when Chinese immigrants first began flocking to the U.S., money was the reason. It was the time of the California Gold Rush, and many young Chinese peasants wanted in on the action. Eventually, they began to open stores and restaurants and businesses in order to make more money. These immigrants were faced with prejudices that forced many to go back home. Others simply came to save money, knowing they would return to China to spend it on their family. Today, economics is not as big of an issue, though many lower-class Chinese workers find opportunities in the United States to make higher wages, either to send back to their families in China or to start a life in the new country. (Mark Orwell, 2000) For many educated Chinese individuals, the United States serves as a breeding ground for high-paying jobs. For this reason, many emigrate to the U.S. in order to further their career, or simply to find a job that may be scarce in China. In particular, individuals travel to the U.S. to find jobs in the technology and engineering fields. Tying into the economic reasons for immigration, many of these skilled workers find that wages in the U.S. are higher, which allows them to save money and better provide for themselves and their families. (Mark Orwell, 2000). 2.1.2 An overview of White Americans in the USA 7 [...]... high on control, but low on democracy, there is little or no discussion between parent and child regarding decisions Since restrictions are made very clear there is seldom any confusion over the expectations of a child The questioning of parental authority is not tolerated and high levels of conformity are required According to Baldwin, children of parents high on control and low on democracy are conforming,... suggests that parents who are high on democracy and low on control have much verbal contact with their children, which includes explanations for parental actions and discussions to satisfy the child's curiosity This verbal contact decreases any confusion regarding parental decisions Baldwin describes children of parents high in democracy and low on control as active, and curious However, these children... obedience and a set standard of conduct, and the importance of parental control in instilling the need to work hard, gain self-discipline, and do well in school Hence, Baumrind's authoritarian parenting style may share common 19 features with the training style (i.e., emphasis on obedience and control) and may overlap in some extend This may explain why Chinese-American parents are considered more authoritarian... as a person perseveres with effort, he/she can get a good outcome Chinese immigrants continue to utilize this Confucian construct of hard work as a tool to condition the mind (Zhang & Carrasquillo, 1995) They believe that sustained effort contributes most to their successful achievement One of Confucius' values is filial piety, which not only means to respect and take care of parents, but also to bring... adolescents’ perceived parental psychological control using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) and did not find significant relationship between psychological control and adolescents’ distress Juang and colleagues (2007) measured both parents’ attitudes and values concerning appropriate levels of control with their children and the adolescent’s endorsement of parental control behaviors among Chinese American... who consequently are likely to 'set standards' and to make greater demands at an earlier age" (Boocock, 1972, p 60) Usui, Lei, and Butter (1981) found that the brighter a child is perceived to be, the higher the educational expectations the parents have Henderson (1988) also confirmed that the powerful influence of parent's expectations on children's academic achievement exists across all social, economic,... parent-child issues are more child-centered In contrast, a low responsive parent will be more rejecting of the child and show little warmth, and parent child issues are considerably more parent-centered (Baumrind, 1967).The parenting dimensions of control/democracy and demandingness/ responsiveness described by Baldwin and Baumrind are central theoretical constructs in current research on parenting strategies,... the process of adjusting and accommodating to the values and practices of the United States (Lin & Fu, 1990) They become less authoritarian in parenting styles and parent control In summary, Chinese-American parents seem to have adapted to the necessary changes in modern American culture, while holding on to some traditional cultural values that are deeply rooted in Confucian principles These values... and to ultimately meet the societal and familial expectations for success (Chao, 1994) That is why Chinese-American parents are concerned 27 about their children's day-to-day progress, as well as their supervision after school (Zhang & Carrasquillo, 1995) They express great concern for their children's progress in hopes that their children are made aware of their expectations so they will work hard... impossible, task The result is often “conflicts between traditional values of parents and the new values embraced by their children” (Buki, Ma, & Strom, 2003) which may affect the psychological well-being of these Chinese American teenagers Having a duo identity may cause a lack of consistency in one’s identity, which may create confusion in these teens as to who they really are Secondly, Rhee and colleagues . This research is carried out with secondary research method. The 2 research will collect relevant data from various reliable sources, both primary and secondary researches which are available. following phases: Phase 1: Collecting data. Phase 2: Processing data: the data are analyzed, synthesized, compared, contrasted, and evaluated. Phase 3: Summarizing and concluding. 1.4 Scope of the study . the United States, it is important to consider this culture and add to the body of knowledge in the area of child-rearing practices in the 21st century. Considering the above mentioned, the