Parenting techniques vary all around the world and play an important role in the development of a child. Goals and behaviors of a parent are influenced by cultural norms and what is valued by particular society. Baumrind’s theory of parenting classifies four parenting styles that are supported by thoughtful ideas. The theory categorizes parenting styles in four different parts, which include authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. These parenting styles are diverse in different cultures and countries. After reading and analyzing different articles of parenting practices from French-American and Chinese-American, I was able to differentiate them from the American culture of parenting. In an interview, What French Parents …show more content…
Amy Chua starts off by mentioning her own experience of being a Chinese parent of her two daughters. Chua set clear rules that her daughters were not allowed to attend a sleepover, be in a school play, watch TV or computer games, receive any grade less than an A, or not play the piano or violin. She critiques the American culture by saying that Americans are obsessed with their child’s self-esteem. In the article, Chua writes, “Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, ‘Hey fatty, lose some weight — By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of ‘health’ and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image.” (Chua, 2011) We can conclude that Chinese parenting techniques include stricter approaches to obedience and less emphasis on the feelings of the child. In Baumrind’s theory of parenting, Chinese-American parenting practices would be classified as authoritarian parenting. Authoritarian parenting is a restrictive parenting style in which parents warn the child to follow their directions and to respect their work. (Santrock, 2013) We know that Chinese parents care and respond to their children, but show their affection in different ways than American parents