Cultural Analysis: Preschool In Three Cultures Revisited

There are many aspects of society that can be compared when doing an analysis of three cultures: socio-economic statuses, occupations, fertility rates, diets, religions, economics, and politics are few among many. Education, and particularly early childhood education, is a fascinating topic to study when conducting a comparison because it has elements of all traits and greatly mirrors the values of the culture of that which it is present, “Preschools are sites where a variety of domains, interests, and social actors intersect. Preschool is where child rearing meets education; where the world of parents and home first meets the world of teachers and school” (Tobin, Hsueh, & Karasawa, 2009, p. 2). According to Tobin, Hsueh, and Karasawa (2009),

The current time period is one of unprecedented change; and of almost constant interaction, with each other, and with those of distant lands. Based on enhancements in technology and communication, one would assume that over the generation between the time when the first edition of Preschool in Three Cultures was published and when Preschool in Three Cultures Revisted was published, would show that education officials are closer to understanding what the best practices are for the universal preschool-aged child. Educators, administrators, and policy makers have been exposed to more practices from around the globe than ever before. Being that all three preschools are working with the same age group, with similar developmental needs, one would think that these three nations’ early childhood education systems have grown more alike because best practices for a three year old should look the same in the United States, China, and Japan. Along with that thought, each system has elements of value: shouldn’t “best” parts of each system be combined to create the “perfect

While China is preparing their “new citizens,” the US is changing the education system to fit the culture set up by high stakes and standards-based assessment set up by President George Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) (Tobin et al,. 2009, p. 179). As a result, the education system in the United States is focused on regulation, standards, and data-supported instruction and decision making. There is a shift to focus on literacy over all else, even at the preschool age level, where it may not be as developmentally appropriate (Tobin et al., 2009, p.183). A relatable example of this is when the American preschool teacher at St. Timothy’s stated, “We have to explain, justify out approach more than we used to: Cutting with a scissors and playing with Play-doh teach fine motor control, which will help with holding a pen” (Tobin, 2009, p. 167) Another teacher was taking pictures of children doing activities to prove that learning was taking place (Tobin et al., 2009, p.164). This pressure to keep records and justify, was an instance that I very much related to while reading. From preschool to high school (and I assume it has even reached high education), educators are under pressure to have documentation and data to support that academic learning is taking