How Has the One-Child Policy Really Created Spoiled Children, or Is This Just Stereotyping - Literature review Example

HOW HAS THE ONE-CHILD POLICY REALLY CREATED SPOILED CHILDREN, OR IS THIS JUST STEREOTYPING? Name Institution Date HOW HAS THE ONE-CHILD POLICY REALLY CREATED SPOILED CHILDREN, OR IS THIS JUST STEREOTYPING? The question of child bearing in China was in the past addressed by a couple as well as the in-laws. A study conducted by Davis and Harrell (1993) indicated that childbearing choices were largely made by husbands and the in-laws. In most cases, it was reported that husbands and in-laws demanded that the woman bear many children. The study indicated that men always wanted more children as compared to women. However, many couples were in agreement on the number of children they wanted to bring up (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 267). Since 1980s, family members have no alternative in deciding the number of children to bear because the State of China implemented the policy of one-child-per-family. With the China’s one-child-per-family policy, childhood socialization has changed. There are speculations that the modern child in China has been spoilt (Lau, 1997, p. 2). This paper argues that the notion that the policy of one-child-per-family in China has created spoilt child, is just a stereotype and not true at all. Child Care China’s cultural imperative dictates that mothers offer the primary care to their children. Under the Qing, those women who neglected their child rearing duties were punished. Usually, mothers had the responsibility of child rearing and especially for children under five to six years old. Irrespective of the great emphasis on mothers’ responsibility in child rearing, the Chinese culture also enables and encourages mothers to escape this responsibility. The culture encouraged women to escape their child rearing responsibilities through; encouraging child adoption or disposal especially for girl child when the mother has more children to cater for, enrolling children to school especially day care arrangements when the child is still very young, encouraging other household members to assist in child care and more so the siblings, and encouraging children to be left under the care of relatives who live elsewhere (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 267). It was also a common practice in the past to hear of children selling cases and infanticide, especially for girl child. These practices have also been recurring in the present time. In Taiwan it has been reported that some poor families consider selling even the boy child. The occurrences of children selling and killing incidences are part of the society’s daily understanding. Whether such incidences are perceived with ruefully or with horror, the society knows very well that sometimes in the past, infants would be disposed of and the victims would barely get punished. However, such incidences were common in the past and are rare in the present China (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 268). A modern woman in China is also involved in business or is an employee just like men. The demands of attending place of work or attending to a business are strenuous for women nursing children. As a result, families turn to hired child care at home to participate in child care. Nurse maids are either part time or full time employees depending on the family’s income. Most families prefer the part time nurse maid as this form of contract helps the families to avoid incurring the expenses of keeping the nursemaid. There is also the option of long-term care offered outside the home (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 271). Chinese women also have the option of leaving their children under the care of hired caregivers or relatives outside their homes. For instant, the young Chines women intellectuals studying abroad endure the pain of having to separate with their children when they are still at their tender age. The women who make such choices justify their acts arguing that there are extraordinary benefits to both parents and the children in future. Child caring in such situations is left under the help of relatives (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 273). Mother-in-laws also play a big a big role in child care. Most women consider their own mothers as the best solution when it comes to the problem of childcare. However, the option of mother-in-laws is also considered but it is a bit complex than one would think of. The strained relationships between a woman and her mother in-law can best be understood as resulting from economic relations. In the past, Chinese daughters-in law had always been perceived as servants of their mother-in-laws; cooking, washing, bearing and taking care of the grandchildren as well as taking care of the husbands. However, mother-in-laws and father-in-laws as well as the maternal grandparents participate in child rearing (Davis & Harris, 1993, p. 273). Education Throughout history the conceptions of childhood in China has undergone significant changes. Educational and cultural notions in regard to children have been subjected to political, economic and social changes. Traditionally, children were seen as subordinate, inferior and humble. However, this has changed and children are expected to be autonomous and are subjected to various child rights. This perception recognizes children as legal and moral subjects who possess basic rights and who need to be praised for their independency (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 30). Now that universal education for children has been embraced in China, older children are no longer available to participate in child rearing responsibilities as it was in the past. Children enrol in schools at an early age and are very dedicated to career building the entire of school life (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 272). Children in modern China seek freedom and democracy, a longing that defies the adage of traditional Chinese culture that shapes, prescribes, and moulds obedient children. Student movements in China have been involved in fighting for human rights just like other young generation in Korea, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Burma and Thailand. It seems that the old obedient generation is no more and has been replaced by a new generation that is similar to the Western counterparts (Lau, 1997, p. 7). In 1990s, the China’s concept of quality education expanded beyond the perspective of formal education to include child-raring practices that are family based as well as including broader social perspectives. In 1999, the disparate and in most cases informal education was codified and standardized by the Ministry of Education. This led to reforming of education policies in China resulting in adoption of quality education. One goal intended to be realized by this reform was to wipe out illiteracy as well as to introduce universal and compulsory education for nine years at national level. This goal was advised by the belief that there was a need to enhance a creative ability of the whole Chinese population. This was intended to raise the quality of the Chinese population (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 29). The new discourse laid the emphasis that children should not be viewed anymore as humble, subordinate, and inferior but as autonomous beings with their basic rights. The idea that every child is unique and has distinct psychological characteristic has also been emphasized. Children are distinct from their parents and have unique needs as they grow. They are also entitled to a happy and a carefree childhood. The reformed education encourages parents and teachers to boost psychological development through paying attention to their physical, emotional and social needs. This helps in constructing a positive self-image, sense of personal worth and strong self-confidence among children. Parents are also encouraged to identify and understand their child’s personality so that the child can receive the love and affection he/she needs (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 31). A child who is brought up in the modern China is therefore well taken care of and lives a more fulfilling life as compared to the children who grew up in China before the adoption of the one-child-per-family policy. The Spoilt Child In 1980s, popular magazines and newspapers in China published articles that portrayed single child rearing as a social problem. The China media termed the portrayed problem the ‘4-2-1 syndrome’. This meant that a single child in a family is given attention by two parents and four (two paternal and two maternal) grandparents. The argument was that a child given close and special attention by six loving adults is likely to think of himself or herself as a ‘hero’ or ‘heroine’ of the home. This type of perception has been held by many Chinese and has been reported by Chinese media as well as foreign media (Lau, 1997, p. 3). It has been reported that a single child in a family is always pampered because there is no chance of divided attention and parents spends a lot in buying children’s toys. In 1980s, it was argued that a child who is brought up as the only child is given a lot of attention by parents and grandparents leading to undesirable economic and social effects. Many people hold the notion that children brought up in families where there no siblings are likely not to comprehend the principles of selflessness, socialist collectivism and comradeship. This is because they never get a chance to learn how to share, cooperate or even compromise their own desire for the sake of others (Lau, 1997, p. 4). Most of the Chinese people reside in the rural areas and the Chinese culture plays a significant role in determining how a child is socialized. Studies have shown that children brought up in the rural areas enjoy an intensive affective and physical bonding with their parents. Children are breast fed for longer periods exceeding one year, children sleep with their parents on the same bed and even under the same blanket for longer period, close attention is given to infants and their diapers changed more frequently, and toddler’s temper tantrums or crying is tolerated more. When it comes to the cases of disciplining children, urban parents are stricter often getting involved in shaping their child’s behaviour through earliest possible interference. Most urban parents hold the notion that child disciplining should kick off when the child is about one and half years old. In contrast, the rural counterparts hold the notion that child disciplining should start at age two or three because below age two, children are unmanageable. Both parents are involved in instilling discipline in their child but urban fathers and rural mothers seems to be more involved in playing this role (Lau, 1997, p. 11). Kindergartens play a significant role in socializing Chinese children in the modern China. In these institutions, children are trained to adopt a more group oriented behaviour, more altruistic, more obedient and orderly and less self-centred. However, these children may seem more emotionally dependent and manipulative in the company of their parents. Kindergartens give children the essential experience of living collectively. Chinese authorities and the experts have encouraged development of preschools to serve as the solution to counter the tendency of spoiling a child in single-child families. Children get an opportunity to interact with other children in kindergartens. Teachers are expected to correct errors and negligence of single- child parenting. Since the inception of one child policy in China, the number of kindergarten schools has gone up and they are intended to raise the quality and control the quantity of population (Lau, 1997, p. 12). Children in kindergartens exhibit an orderly and obedient behaviour during collective learning activities as well as when in classrooms. Collective rules and group life fulfil the collective education and child care policy. Nurses and teachers play a significant corrective role in kindergarten settings which represent a collective life (Lau, 1997, pp. 13). Spoilt Child Argument Bases Psychologists have identified different shortcomings among children who have been brought up as the only child globally. One of the shortcomings in these children is that such children are more likely to be selfish, unsociable, self-centred, spoilt, cowardly, maladjusted, fragile and conceited. In addition, such children portray behaviours such as; short attention plan, inability to delay gratification, obstinacy, bossiness, disrespectful to the elders, lack initiative and more hot tempered. Usually, such description is only used to refer to children who are six years and below (Lau, 1997, p. 4). The popular 4-2-1 syndrome describes a biased view of parental overindulgence in care for their only child. This is because parents also focus their effort in trying to correct, control and monitor their child. Parents are also able to put some efforts in helping their child academically (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 30; Lau, 1997, p. 17). The modern Chinese child is not spoilt but lives a more viable life as compared to a child who was brought up in the past before the one-child-per family policy was adopted. The new generation of Chinese children has caught the attention of Western world. It has been documented that the number of the Chinese children is quite big in that, for every four children in the world, one is Chinese. The Western educators have also been astonished by the outstanding academic achievements. The Chinese child has been rated best in academic excellence and especially in mathematics and sciences by most international and national standards. These children are living in a world that is vastly different- one that changes overnight- and China is in the fore front when it comes to changing economically. The Chinese children of the contemporary world are no longer submissive and passive. Their behaviour contradicts the prediction of traditional depictions drawn from cross-cultural literature (Lau, 1997, p. xi-xii). In conclusion, the policy of one-child-per-family has not lead to development of spoilt children rather they are brought up as children with siblings. The only difference is that they receive more affection and more attention from their parents and grandparents making them more responsible academically and socially when they grow up. BIBLIOGRAPHY Binah-Pollak, Avital. 2014. Discourses and Practices of Child-Rearing in China: The Bio-power of Parenting in Beijing. China: SAGE Lau, Sing. 1997. Growing Up the Chinese Way: Chinese Child and Adolescent Development. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press. Davis, Deborah, & Harrell, Stevan. 1993. Chinese Families in the Post-Mao Era. London: University of California Press. Read More

Mother-in-laws also play a big a big role in child care. Most women consider their own mothers as the best solution when it comes to the problem of childcare. However, the option of mother-in-laws is also considered but it is a bit complex than one would think of. The strained relationships between a woman and her mother in-law can best be understood as resulting from economic relations. In the past, Chinese daughters-in law had always been perceived as servants of their mother-in-laws; cooking, washing, bearing and taking care of the grandchildren as well as taking care of the husbands.

However, mother-in-laws and father-in-laws as well as the maternal grandparents participate in child rearing (Davis & Harris, 1993, p. 273). Education Throughout history the conceptions of childhood in China has undergone significant changes. Educational and cultural notions in regard to children have been subjected to political, economic and social changes. Traditionally, children were seen as subordinate, inferior and humble. However, this has changed and children are expected to be autonomous and are subjected to various child rights.

This perception recognizes children as legal and moral subjects who possess basic rights and who need to be praised for their independency (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 30). Now that universal education for children has been embraced in China, older children are no longer available to participate in child rearing responsibilities as it was in the past. Children enrol in schools at an early age and are very dedicated to career building the entire of school life (Davis & Harrell, 1993, p. 272). Children in modern China seek freedom and democracy, a longing that defies the adage of traditional Chinese culture that shapes, prescribes, and moulds obedient children.

Student movements in China have been involved in fighting for human rights just like other young generation in Korea, Taiwan, Korea, Hong Kong, Mainland China, Burma and Thailand. It seems that the old obedient generation is no more and has been replaced by a new generation that is similar to the Western counterparts (Lau, 1997, p. 7). In 1990s, the China’s concept of quality education expanded beyond the perspective of formal education to include child-raring practices that are family based as well as including broader social perspectives.

In 1999, the disparate and in most cases informal education was codified and standardized by the Ministry of Education. This led to reforming of education policies in China resulting in adoption of quality education. One goal intended to be realized by this reform was to wipe out illiteracy as well as to introduce universal and compulsory education for nine years at national level. This goal was advised by the belief that there was a need to enhance a creative ability of the whole Chinese population.

This was intended to raise the quality of the Chinese population (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 29). The new discourse laid the emphasis that children should not be viewed anymore as humble, subordinate, and inferior but as autonomous beings with their basic rights. The idea that every child is unique and has distinct psychological characteristic has also been emphasized. Children are distinct from their parents and have unique needs as they grow. They are also entitled to a happy and a carefree childhood.

The reformed education encourages parents and teachers to boost psychological development through paying attention to their physical, emotional and social needs. This helps in constructing a positive self-image, sense of personal worth and strong self-confidence among children. Parents are also encouraged to identify and understand their child’s personality so that the child can receive the love and affection he/she needs (Binah-Pollak, 2014, p. 31). A child who is brought up in the modern China is therefore well taken care of and lives a more fulfilling life as compared to the children who grew up in China before the adoption of the one-child-per-family policy.

Read More