Childrearing: Japan and United States
Sandra Rosario
ANT 101 Introduction to Anthropology
Prof. Wulf
February 24, 2015
The way we see the world is always changing; our behavior, our beliefs and our way of life are all impacted by our cultures. And childrearing is no different. There is great happiness when a child is born and to many families it may seem that to bring up a child would be easy but it is not. No matter what culture a family is from childrearing is a long process because of the time needed for guidance, ways of discipline and a good education. Many parents feel that their form of childrearing is correct but truthfully there is always room for change. This paper will present the approach of childrearing in Japan and United states in regards to guidance and discipline.
Guidance For these two cultures there is a special bond with their children from birth right into the children’s adolescence. This bond is that intimate biological connection they have, especially mother and child. This instills a sense of security and dependency in the child towards the mother which in return mothers protects the child. “Parents, especially when children are young, spend a significant amount of time developing a relationship with their children. By sharing time and experience, parents try to gain trust and faith from children; consequently, the things parents say and do greatly impact children” (Yasumoto, 2010). Then on the other hand there is the nature part of it, which is the connection children have towards their surroundings by learning from experiences and their cultures.
Japanese parents in their child rearing style is based on them doing for their children, and the children learn to depend on the parent. Yet, Japanese parents expect their children to learn the important and continued values of responsibility, good sense, and sound judgment are most highly valued, while the more traditional values of good manners, obedience, self-control, neatness and cleanliness, and the ability to get along with other children are deemphasized. Dore (1958) concludes that from infancy onward, the Japanese derives satisfaction and security from relationships with groups, not individuals. While American parents guide or teach their children to be more independent; children dress themselves, pack their own lunch even choose toys to play with plus encourages her infant to be more assertive, active, and vocally responsive. But there are changes that have occur socially and culturally that affect families in different ways. The cultures of the Japanese and the Americans are going through a change, in which the husband, the father is no longer involved in childrearing within the home as a support. The mother then has to assume the role of both. And also be an economic source for her and her child’s survival. Which in turn becomes that parent’s strongest pursuit instead of pursuing to be the strongest guidance for the child. According to George Kurian (1986), in earlier studies conducted by Caudill and Weinstein (1969:39) they reported Japanese and American cultures to be “closer in occupational values than in familiar values”. This is the time the mother has trouble controlling the children’s behavior and as adolescent the start to stray away from the connection that existed at one time. “The composition of family members can be vital to explain how parents view the world and construct their parenting philosophy”. Based on the style of childrearing that comes from the mother or parents is how that child will behave each of these cultures can learn from each other, neither one is correct or wrong. “These differences in styles of mothering are also reflected in cross-cultural differences in infant behavior. American infants are more physically and verbally assertive, showing more general bodily activity, more play with toys, hands, etc., and more positive vocalization. Japanese infants, on the other hand, appear more
