...”Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” It is impossible to deny the difficulty of childrearing. There is no manual but there are indeed methods more ethically correct than others. This is of course a subjective matter and often leads to endless discussions. The ways of childrearing have changed over the years and varies a lot based on the environment/country surrounding the parents and their children. In the article, “Why Chines Mothers are Superior”, Amy Chua, the professor at Yale law school, attempts to justify her method of childrearing. Amy Chua is convinced that her way of raising children is the correct way out of the many ways possible. Amy Chua puts emphasis on the differences between the Western and Chinese child raising methods. There are both positive and negative consequences with the Chinese and the Western child raising methods. Amy Chua begins her article by stating all the things her children are not allowed to do. Things such as watching TV, complaining, attending a school-play etc. Amy Chua uses very strict methods and the child does not have a voice in anything, not even their hobbies. This however has resulted in what is mentioned in the article – “stereotypically successful kids”. It is great when parents support their children and when parents want their children to never give up and to constantly improve and become the very best version of themselves. This prepares the child for the life of a grown-up where giving up is not a possibility because of the...
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...2016 Abstract Chinese parenting is very different from other forms of parenting in society. It is distinct from other types of parenting in the fact that Chinese parents prioritize self-confidence, self-esteem, and excellence in everything their child does. Many other parents try not to push their children too hard and are afraid to bring up tough subjects. However, Chinese parents believe that their children can be the best in every area and they need to be pushed in order to excel. Many Chinese children miss out on common things such as, sleepovers, watching TV, after school playmates, and video games, because their parents don’t want them getting distracted. Their parents truly believe that they know what is best for their children and often overlook their children’s preferences and wants. Its not that Chinese parents do not love or care about their children. They will give up anything to help their children succeed and have a better life. While they do have a different parenting style than most, they are protecting their children by preparing them for the future. Taking Sides Chapter 11 Taking Sides Personally, I agree with the author who stated that Chinese parenting is culturally distinct. I have this opinion because of my relationship with friends who have come from strict Chinese households. When I was in high school, my best friend named Valerie was never allowed to come over after school, because it cut into the homework time that her parents set aside. She...
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...Why chinese mothers are superior I remember one thing from my upbringing that made a big impression on the person, I am today. One thing that my parents always kept reminding me about when I was a kid, was that I could loose in games and my opponents could win. My parents would in that way form my thoughts in a way, so that I definitely not would be a bad looser that would cry and get upset because of a lost game. Because to loose sometimes in life is something everyone will experience once in a while. Some people can not handle this scenario as good as other people. This is because of the differences in the upbringings from child to child/parent to parent. Upbringings are actually very different from culture to culture. The writer Amy Chua wrote an article in The Wall Street Journal, January 8th, 2011 with the title “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior”, in which she explains how her kids were raised and where she also in general writes about how different upbringings can be in opposite cultures. The sender of this article is the John M. Duff, Jr. Professor of Law at Yale Law School, Amy L. Chua (October 26, 1962). She joined the Yale faculty in 2001 after teaching at Duke Law School. Prior to starting her teaching career, she was a corporate law associate at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. She specializes in the study of international business transactions, law and development, ethnic conflict, and globalization and the law. As of January 2011, she is most noted for her...
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...Strict Parenting: Chinese or Westerner There are many different parenting techniques; each culture has their own way of raising their children, the end result is the same, we want what’s best for them and we want to see them happy. In the article “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” by Amy Chua, Chua talks about how the Chinese way is the best way to raise a child. She compares her style against “Westerner parents” in which Hanna Rosin defends the “Westerners” in her article “Mother Inferior?” Chua is a very strict mother, she considers herself what is called a “Chinese mother” which is a parenting style most Chinese mothers live by. Rosin is what Chua would call a “Westerner”. Who is to say one parenting technique is better than the other? Rosin brings up a good point in her article defending all the “Western parents”. The two techniques are similar in ways and different in others, but the sole purpose is to see your child grow into a healthy, happy, successful individual. Chinese mothers restrict their children from doing what they want to do, they believe that “they know what’s best for their children”, (Chua, 2011) which is true amongst both techniques. The difference is that Chinese mothers will restrict what their children can do and force them to study and practice for hours until they have perfected it. They want their children to be the best at everything they do, and this requires compromising fun and friends as a child. This Chinese style restricts them from having...
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...PARENTING STYLES: EAST OR WEST? Name School Parenting Styles: East or West? Parenthood is a privilege but is also a great responsibility. Parents wish there was a manual that came along with children when they were born; however, that is not the case and parents can only do their best in different situations. How parents act in child rearing is called parenting styles, and geographically speaking there is a wide variety of styles practiced. The most controversial styles are the ones adopted by the eastern and the western cultures in the world. While eastern parents are stricter and demanding, western parents are more flexible, nurturing, and more tolerant. Amy Chua’s article “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” and Hanna Rosin’s counter-article “Mother Inferior” explore three basic concepts that make the difference between Chinese and Western parental approaches: children’s self-esteem, children’s appreciation, and children’s interest. Amy Chua states that the first difference she notices between these two parenting styles is that Western parents care a lot about their children’s self-esteem and psyches, while Chinese parents don’t. She explains that Western parents worry too much about their children’s feelings; hence they are always trying to comfort them. She also points that Chinese parents, on the other hand, demand perfection through criticism, punishment, and shaming the child, because they believe with this humiliation the child will be properly motivated to...
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...In the article, “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior,” Amy Chua stresses the supremacy of stern Chinese parenting over tolerant Western parenting. Chua begins by providing the reader with the rules she imposed to raise her own academically outstanding children. She contradicts the belief that Western parents are strict by giving an example on how the Chinese require their children to practice music for three hours while Western parents prefer only thirty minutes. Furthermore, Chua includes statistic about the agreement on whether “stressing academic success is not good for children” and seventy percent of Western parents agree but about zero percent of Chinese parents do. Also, Chua claims repetition is vital for children to flourish and once...
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...“Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” Brief summary- Professor Amy Chua at Yale Law School wrote Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (2011) the article “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” found in the Journal relates to her book. In this short excerpt “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” the parenting styles of Chinese and Westerns are compared. Western parents try to respect their children’s character, encouraging them to pursue their true passions and providing a nurturing habitat. The Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future and arming them with skills, strong work habits, and inner confidence. Longer summary- The short excerpt “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” based on Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother (2011) caused controversy over the different parenting between Asian and Western parents. The Chinese parents sets high standards of achievement and strict discipline. Chinese parenting perceives mothers to be highly controlling and punish severely, almost to the point of abuse. Parents focus on ensuring and preparing children for future obstacles in life. Chua describes the Chinese parenting skills she finds productive enforcing hard work and punishment. She implements that children make poor choices and will likely give up. To Chinese parents understanding, nothing is fun until your good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, which is why it is important for parents...
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...Reading Response: “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” Q1: What is Amy Chua arguing? Chua is arguing the differences between the Chinese “eastern” mentality on raising children and importance on being the best at everything versus American “western” mentality where we stress that everything that we try to accomplish should be fun. Chu quotes a study where 50 “western” and 48 “eastern” mothers were polled. 70% of western women stated that stressing academic success in not good for their children and that learning should be fun. Conversely 0% of the “eastern” mothers felt the same way, and that most Chinese mother’s feel that it is only through hard work, complete dedication, and being perfect is when children realize what fun is. She states that most Chinese parents sacrifice everything for their children, and it is through these sacrifices that they justify the reasoning for pushing their children. She believes, for an unknown reason, that Chinese parents believe that their children owe them everything due to these sacrifices and this is why their children should be the best, uncompromisingly. Q2: How do I feel about this article Being a father I tend to ride the fence on this subject. A part of me thinks that my son is too much of a treasure to force him through life trying to be something that he may not be, and I don’t want him to miss out on the joys and experiences that this life has to offer by stressing him to be absolutely perfect in all that he does. On the other...
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...-Why Chinese Mothers are Superior- The essay “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” by Amy Chua was published on “The Wall Street Journal” January 8, 2011. The topic of this text is Chinese parenting methods opposed to the western way of parenting. Within the first few lines it is very clear that Amy Chua has a different view on parenting than most traditional western parents. The title itself is a claim, and it sets the tone for how the essay is going to be. From the start we get the hint that this text will try to convince us, that Chinese parenting methods are superior. Amy Chua begins something that she claims is on a lot of people’s minds. The wonders about how Chinese parents are able to raise such successful kids. She then continues to saying that she can give the answer to these wonders, because she has done it herself. Amy Chua gives us a list of things that her daughters, were never allowed to do. This list seems, to us, unusual and maybe even mad. But to her, this is a necessity in her way of parenting. To her this is logical and is what must be done to get successful kids. In her list we see that not only are her children not allowed to get any grade less than A, but also they have to be the No. 1 student in every subject, except gym and drama. This put a really huge amount of pressure on her daughters. Amy Chua is an American lawyer, writer and legal scholar. She is the Professor of Law at Yale Law School. Amy Chua has two daughters Sophia and Louisa. The fact...
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...“Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” The Chinese parenting style creates success, teaches determination, and prepares children to be exceptional. “Chinese parents” won’t accept anything but the best, while “Western parents” think learning should be fun (p.143). According to Amy Chua and her controversial article concerning Chinese and Western parenting: “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior”, this first group can get away with harsh treatment and reasonably insensitive language, while Western parents may even induce legal consequences for “lightly” correcting their children. Chua firmly believes that her disciplinary actions won’t affect her child’s self-steem; in fact, she believes children’s confidence will increase upon successful completion of a challenge. Unlike the other category of parents, who worry about how failure will emotionally perturb their children, rather than attacking the actual problem, which according to Chua’s realistic perspective it is the child’s mistake for not working hard enough. “As a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child’s self-steem is to let them give up. There’s nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn’t”, says Chua (p.146). Throughout this article the author’s only purpose is to achieve her daughter’s academic excellence, disregarding her feelings of being heavily burdened. This mother’s beliefs insinuate that children owe everything to their parents (p.144), and she...
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...good or great parent, from traditional to all out crazy, parenting in today’s world is not what grandma could of ever imagined. A parent’s goal is to give their children all the best in life, encouraging them to excel in everything they do, but what happens when that parent goes above and beyond, and not in a positive socially excepting way. The difference between Chinese mothers and Western civilization “moms” is pitch black night and day. All a Chinese mother has left to do to raise their children is a battery pack inserted in the child’s back, given the way some Asian people in today’s society are stereotyped, math genius’s, music prodigies, large corporation CEO’s, it seems that in a way Chinese parenting has something going on, even as strict as it often gets, pretty much taking a child’s childhood almost completely away. As in “the west side”, it is highly believed to let a kid be a kid, that’s how you learn what’s right and wrong, your personal likes and dislikes and have a better chance to mold yourself as a person and not be molded like a product straight off the factory line. A Chinese mother will stress academic excellence, not encouraging but making, even if harsh threats and degrading are involved for their child to have perfect A’s and be number one in not pretty much everything, but EVERYTHING that that child does. A Western parent most of the times settles for a pass, “good job Bobby, you got a C in your social study’s test”, as a Chinese parent would just about...
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...opinionated. There is a lot of controversy surrounding her memoir, Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, in which she was very harsh towards her daughters and made it clear that her parenting methods were better than those of a Western parent. There is no manual on parenting, but how do we know when we as parents cross the line between being concerned for our child’s future and being overbearing? Being a parent myself, I know firsthand that it gets frustrating and sometimes, that inner control can be lost. Amy demonstrated this challenge plenty of times. I acknowledge that Amy may have thought she was motivating her children to be strong, successful women but I don’t think she let them have a proper childhood. It’s sad how not once throughout the entire book was it ever mentioned that the girls went to the movies or to the mall. Amy did not let her girls initiate anything. She didn’t allow them to make mistakes on their own or to be themselves. When they look back on their childhood, they will have no fun memories to remember. It will always be about what their mother wanted. Nevertheless, she did a good job raising the girls. From the beginning of the memoir, Amy compared Eastern and Western parenting. There is no doubt in my mind that most Chinese parents do raise “stereotypically successful” children but anyone can raise a successful child. I also don’t doubt the love that Amy has for her children. My problem with this is that Amy made it seem like she and her methods were better...
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...Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior ”Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior” is written by the Chinese mother of two, Professor Amy Chua. The article was published Saturday, January 8th, 2011 in Wall Street Journal. Wall Street Journal is a well-known American newspaper with a broad range of readers. The article is though mainly intended for what she refers to as “Western parents” – or Western mothers in particular. Mothers, who in Amy Chua’s opinion, fail to bring their children up successfully. The article is expository, as Amy Chua tries to emphasize her view on Western parent’s mentality in contrast to Chinese parent’s mentality. When it comes to a successful upbringing for their children, Amy Chua believes that the Western way has it deficiencies. As a parent, you might have some sort of blindness when it comes to seeing your own mistakes about raising your children. Amy Chua therefore tries to explain what can be changed, in order to achieve a more successful child. By revealing these differences in the way of raising a child, respectively in a Chinese way and in a Western way, Amy Chua makes the reader consider, if the Western way really is the way to prefer. The article expounds the Chinese way of raising children in contrast to the Western way. According to Amy Chua, mother of two Chinese girls, the main problem is the Western parent’s mentality. The parent’s apprehension of emotionally hurting their children prevents the children to fully shape in to a successful person...
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...identifies herself as a tough and strict “Chinese mother”. Throughout the piece she uses several personal experiences that support this assertion. The reader recognizes a sense of confidence from Chua as she repeatedly contrasts Western-parenting ideals from Chinese-parenting ideals. As far as her credibility as an author, it is questionable. She writes, “ Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear…” Her credibility begins to slip when she uses the word “unclear”. This statement suggests that she does not even know herself why she is parenting the way she is parenting. It also presents a perfect opportunity for opposing people to make an argument against Chua’s style of parenting. Another instance where Chua’s credibility becomes uncertain is when she writes of mimicking her husband when he intervenes in a dispute between her and their daughter. It shows that she is unwilling to listen to the other side of her argument and has this my-way-or-the-highway complex—which is not necessarily an attractive outlook to have. It seems that an author who is open to looking at both sides of an argument is a more respectable author. Chua’s use of pathos is particularly insensitive. She uses it more to take a jab at Western culture rather than to make an appeal on either side. Several times Chua makes up these hypothetical scenarios and discusses what Western parents would do and then what Chinese parents would do. Her idea of how...
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...How to raise your child Raising a child demands time and effort and being a good parent can be very complicated. There is no wrong or right when raising a child, but there sure are consequences. At home, it is often the parents who are in control and it is of course important what they decide, but what's more important for the child's health and well-being is how they decide it. A child's behavior depends a lot on how it is raised. Do the parents for instance raise their child dictatorial, democratic, flexible or just kind of random? There has now become bigger focus on what we call Chinese tiger mothers. Some may say that their way of raising children is almost dictatorial but there has actually become a bigger understanding for tiger mothers especially in China. There is no doubt that tough control, intense training and discipline often improve the child's academic presentations but on the other hand, the child will often lose its imagination, creativity and their interest in learning. It is a good thing that the parents prepare their children for the education system with strict rules and very serious teaching, but even though the child gets good grades in school they will still develop very bad social skills and eventually end up feeling lonely and maybe isolate themselves from others. Suicide among Chinese youth has been a significant problem in China in the past years. There are several causes for young people's suicide but in many cases, the high number of suicides...
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