Each country, due to its cultural differences and the mentality of the people, has its own models of raising children. In America, the major child-rearing strategies were formed over the centuries under the influence of immigrants from other continents, thus, several such models can be highlighted. As stated by de Melendez and Beck (2019), “through day-to-day activities and interactions, families pass to younger generation the ideas and accepted behaviors of their cultural group” (p. 82). The most prominent American sociocultural group consists of the White middle-class population, which had developed a certain way of raising children due to the “family cult” that dominates this society. This approach can be described best as “independence-fostering” – from an early age, and children are brought up in the freedom that can be rather radical sometimes. The main part of parental actions is aimed at developing child’s confidence by allowing them to make their own choices and providing opportunities at expressing their opinion.
Moreover, the parents’ responsibilities over child-rearing are usually shared – similarly to another large cultural group: middle-class African Americans. However, according to Curenton et al. (2018), “African American parents are more focused on protecting their children from racism, discrimination, and harmful stereotypes. It is clear that unique challenges, which African Americans have to overcome, greatly affect their child-rearing practices. Another unusual parenting strategy appears among Chinese immigrants: they use a punitive authoritarian approach to instill discipline and ensure children’s obedience. A comparative study conducted by Chen et al. (2017) describes differences in parenting practices between Chinese people in China and Chinese immigrants in the USA. The pattern of forcing children into submission is relatively the same for both groups; however, it is revealed that Chinese immigrants are less prone to harsher parenting strategies. Moreover, Chinese parents – both in China and immigrants – use the tactics of shaming and love withdrawal. Overall, it can be said that even in one country, child-rearing practices can differ wildly.
References
Chen, J. J., Sun, P., & Yu, Z. (2017). A comparative study on parenting of preschool children between the Chinese in China and Chinese immigrants in the United States.Journal of Family Issues, 38(9), 1262–1287. Web.
Curenton, S. M., Crowley, J. E., & Mouzon, D. M. (2018). Qualitative descriptions of middle-class, African American mothers’ child-rearing practices and values.Journal of Family Issues, 39(4), 868–895. Web.
de Melendez, W. R., & Beck, V. (2019). Teaching young children in multicultural classrooms: Issues, concepts, and strategies. Cengage.