| The goals of this study were to examine Chinese mothers' beliefs on young children and the influences of traditional Chinese cultural values on their child-rearing beliefs, as well as how mothers' child-rearing beliefs were influenced by social changes in contemporary China. Participants included 40 mothers of 18 to 36 month old children. They were recruited from word of mouth in the city of Jiaozuo, Henan Province, P. R. China. Using an open-ended interview, most mothers, regardless of the child's gender, continued to place great importance on some of the traditional values and Confucian teachings (e.g., social conventions). However, some key aspects of Chinese traditional beliefs (e.g., filial piety) have been redefined by mothers to reflect the current social times. With the societal changes in contemporary China (e.g., one-child policy, maternal employment), mothers' views of child-rearing beliefs were found to shift toward a less traditional approach, focusing greater attention on their children's development (e.g., individualism, personal freedom). |
