Differences in child rearing attitudes between immigrant Chinese mothers and Anglo-American mothers

• Published in: Early development & parenting Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 181 - 189
• Main Authors: Wang, Chia-Hui Cindy, Phinney, Jean S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 01-12-1998
• Subjects: Anglo-American people; child rearing attitudes; Chinese mothers; Chinese people; Comparison; cultural differences; Immigrants; Mothers; Parenting style; USA
• ISSN: 1057-3593; 1099-0917
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1099-0917(199812)7:4<181::AID-EDP169>3.0.CO;2-Y

In order to explore cultural differences in child rearing attitudes, we studied 30 Anglo‐American mothers and 30 immigrant Chinese mothers in the US, together with their preschool children and the children's teachers. Mothers completed a measure of child rearing attitudes, children were assessed for perceived competence, and teachers rated children's competence. Results showed that immigrant Chinese mothers were more authoritarian overall, as expected from previous research, but that they also were more likely to encourage independence and demand maturity from their children. Chinese‐American children scored higher than Anglo‐American children on cognitive competence, and their cognitive competence was related to authoritarian child rearing. The results are discussed in the context of Confucian and American cultural values. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.