Tisch
A Comparison of Family Education Differences between China and America
With the transformation of economy and society and the change of family structure, family education in China is facing many new problems. With the increasingly frequent educational exchanges between China and the United States, the differences in family education between the two countries have become increasingly prominent. This paper first introduces the present situation of family education in China and analyzes the main problems existing in family education in China at present. Secondly, it compares Chinese and American family education from three aspects: purpose, content and method, analyzes the reasons for the differences between the two countries, and then puts forward some constructive thoughts on the development of family education in China.
Keywords: family education, differences between China and the United States
China library classification number: G 125 Document identification number: A.
Education has been the link between family and society since ancient times, and it is the core of social and political life. China's traditional family education, that is, the vertical education in which the elders "teach the younger generation", and social education are also built around family education. At present, this kind of "upper application and lower effect" education is no longer suitable for the development of our country.
1 Main Problems in Family Education in China
1. 1 The improvement of the family's material living standards has led to children being spoiled and weak in labor consciousness.
Labor education, that is, the education of non-intellectual factors, is a link that cannot be ignored in family education, and it can also be said to be the education of tempering children's will. In recent years, people's income has greatly increased, and the material living standards of families have also been greatly improved, which has created favorable conditions for children's development, and at the same time, parents have a more solid material foundation for educating their children. At the same time, due to the improvement of material conditions, it also has a negative impact on educating children. Many children live at home with clothes to reach out and food to eat, lacking labor habits and labor consciousness. Of course, some parents also neglect the education of their children's labor. Doing something that you can often can not only help children form the habit of loving labor, but also enhance their hands-on ability, which is very beneficial to their growth.
1.2 The simplification of family structure makes the education of the only child increasingly prominent.
In the past, families in China generally had many members and complicated structures. With the implementation of the family planning policy, the family structure in China is increasingly simplified, and most of them are small families composed of parents and children. Although such a family structure makes parents' education of their children less vulnerable to external interference, it also brings many new problems to their education. Many families expect too much from the only child, dote on the child, overprotect the child, and value wisdom over morality, which is not conducive to the cultivation of a sound personality.
1.3 family stability is reduced, which brings great harm to children's growth.
In modern society, due to the interference of many factors, family relations began to loosen, and the degree of family stability was greatly reduced. According to the survey of sociologists, the "marriage age" of divorced couples is generally around six years after marriage, while most couples divorce between six and sixteen years after marriage. Children of this age are in a critical period of growth and development, and they are still very dependent on their parents. Due to disagreement between parents, children lack care and security. Many children from divorced families become inferior, withdrawn, depressed, indifferent and irritable, and even some children have mental illness, and very few children even embark on the road of breaking the law and committing crimes.
1.4 The emergence of social informatization has impacted the traditional family education.
Family is a relatively closed form of social organization, and the rapid development of informatization has had an impact on closed families. However, young people have limited knowledge and social experience, and their ability to distinguish, screen and select information is poor, so they are inevitably influenced and corroded by bad information.
2 differences in family education between China and the United States
2. 1 Different educational purposes
The educational purpose of families in China tends to be family-oriented. The foundation of China society lies in the family, and the isomorphism between family and country is a typical feature of China society. In the traditional family culture of China, personal interests and family interests are closely linked. Respecting the elderly is a fine tradition of the Chinese nation, but for a long time, we have put too much emphasis on respecting and obeying our elders, and parents are used to imposing their thoughts and will on their children. This "paternalism" leads to children's strong dependence and loss of autonomy and initiative. When determining the goal of family education, parents also pay less attention to their children's wishes. Parents generally make the final decision after comprehensively considering their children's further education, employment and future achievements.
The purpose of American family education tends to be individualized. Parents respect and encourage their children's "self-choice and self-responsibility". When making family education goals, parents will respect their children's wishes, and the key point is to cultivate their children's ability to adapt to various environments. Parents pay more attention to their children's all-round development while attaching importance to their children's learning and intellectual development.
2.2 Different educational contents
Family education in China generally follows the principle of "cultivating talents with all-round development in morality, intelligence, physique, beauty and labor". Influenced by the current situation of education in China, the intellectual education of children rises to the first place as soon as they enter school, and there is an unbalanced tendency. In order to let their children get into famous universities and find good jobs, parents spend a lot of money to buy exercises for their children and report them to remedial classes. However, the cultivation of this ability can only be tested, which has little to do with actual ability. In contrast, American family education is richer and looser, which can better reflect the spirit of "quality education". With the goal of giving children social adaptability, parents pay attention to strengthening children's outdoor activities and physical exercise from early childhood, cultivating children's interest in learning, stimulating children's desire for learning and expanding their cultural horizons.
2.3 Different ways of education
In China, parents have absolute authority in the family, and they play a leading role in children's education, ignoring children's sense of independence. In the United States, the relationship between children and parents is relatively democratic, and the way parents educate their children is mainly democratic and open. American parents encourage their children more than protect them when they grow up. Will encourage them to try bravely and cultivate their self-confidence. Democratic and relaxed family education provides American children with opportunities to express their thoughts and decide things.
2.4 reasons for the differences in family education between China and the United States
2.4. 1 historical and cultural background
The United States is an immigrant country with a short history and was deeply influenced by the Renaissance. The concepts of democracy and freedom permeate every corner. Therefore, in American families, they treat their children as an independent individual, treat them equally and give them enough independent space. China's traditional thoughts have influenced most people in China. Traditional culture with Confucian culture as the core advocates "different respect and inferiority, orderly growth", and most of its cultural values are conservative, lacking adventurous spirit and creative thinking.
2.4.2 Different socio-economic conditions
As we all know, the United States has a developed economy and a sound social security system. In the eyes of American parents, no matter the position, as long as their children can stand in society, they are very satisfied. American family education attaches great importance to the cultivation of children's social practice ability and independent personality. In contrast, China is a developing country, its social security system is not perfect enough, and there are some old ideas. China's parents believe that their children's education is closely related to their lives.
3 Enlightenment to Family Education in China Due to the influence of different cultural backgrounds of the two countries, China and the United States have formed their own unique family education. We should respect each other's cultural characteristics, learn from the valuable and reasonable components of American family education, and enrich the concepts and methods of family education in China. Through the comparative analysis of Chinese and American family education, this paper puts forward some suggestions for Chinese family education.
3. 1 Parents should change their educational concepts.
On the basis of respecting children's age characteristics and personality characteristics, parents should also recognize the shortcomings of family education in the past and change the way of family education so that children can learn to survive, communicate and work hard. On this basis, we should try to reform from the following points:
3. 1. 1 Update the criteria for evaluating children.
Scientific and reasonable evaluation has strong guidance and can guide children to develop good behavior habits and form a healthy psychological state. Parents should not blindly ask their children to "obey" and "obey", but should cultivate their innovative consciousness and support their children to have their own opinions according to the needs of social development.
3. 1.2 Establish a new parent-child relationship
Parents should let go of their authoritative role and establish an equal and democratic relationship with their children. Children should be educated by their parents, not their arbitrary accessories. Parents have the right to educate their children, which is their obligation, not their privilege. Parents should change their ideas and respect their children's personality and self-interest. Only in this way can family education be carried out smoothly, and the children trained can be self-respecting, self-confident, self-reliant and independent, and can make a difference.
3. 1.3 Establish a new family education model
From closed family education to open family education. It is necessary to invigorate family education and maintain the exchange and communication of internal and external information. Parents should make full use of social life to educate their children and let them take the initiative to receive education in practice. Parents should learn to open their doors, let their children freely contact social life, encourage their children to dominate their own words and deeds, undergo exercise in practice and take the initiative to receive education.
3.2 The society and schools should strengthen the guidance of family education and effectively improve the quality of family education.
First of all, * * * and women's federations at all levels should attach importance to family education, emphasizing that family education must take morality as the first priority and integrate socialist core values into family education. Secondly, we should run parent schools well, give full play to our own advantages, and choose educational content in a targeted manner. Thirdly, popularize scientific and correct educational concepts, improve parents' quality and educational ability, make parents, schools and society cooperate closely, and help children develop morally, intellectually, physically, aesthetically and laboriously.
3.3 Strengthen family education guidance for the only child.
The family education of the only child has become a very prominent problem in the family education in contemporary China. Generally speaking, the basic situation of the one-child family education in China is good, but there are also many worrying problems. Through the comparative analysis of family education between China and the United States, we can guide the family education of the only child from the following points:
3.3. 1 Change ideas and straighten out the relationship between parents and only children.
The correct attitude of parents towards the only child should be to love but not to spoil, to raise but not to be arrogant. Love for children should not only stay in life, but also be reflected in the cultivation and education of children. Children should be strictly disciplined and carefully cultivated so that they can grow up healthily in moral, intellectual, physical, aesthetic and labor aspects.
3.3.2 Grasp children's psychological characteristics for education.
We can seize the characteristics that children like praise and closeness, affirm their good character in time with praise and reward, so that they can be actively strengthened, and deny their bad character in time with criticism and punishment. This will not only seize the opportunity of education, educate children in time, but more importantly, guide their moral education.
3.3.3 Strengthen the establishment of rules and regulations for children's behavior.
Strengthen the cultivation of children's character and conduct; Unify all aspects of educational requirements, that is, unify the educational requirements of schools, families and society, so that children can receive standardized education and cultivate good personality in different environments.
refer to
[1] Huang Lei. Comparison of family education between China and America [J]. China Cultural Forum, 20088.
[2] Zheng. On the cultural differences between China and the West from the comparison of family education between China and the United States [J]. Journal of Anshun University, 20095.
[3] Zhao Zhongxin. Explore new ways of family education reform [J]. Head teacher, 20 10 12.
[4] Meng. On the differences between Chinese and American family education methods [J]. Frontier, 20 10 1 1.
[5] Li Mingyan. Comparison of Family Education Concepts between China and America [J]. Academy, 20 1 19.