Chinese and Japanese perspectives of fathering

作者：Ito, Yoko^*; Izumi-Taylor, Satomi; Zhou, Nianli

来源：Early Child Development and Care, 2018, 188(12): 1762-1770.

DOI：10.1080/03004430.2017.1286335

• Father involvement
• fathering
• fatherhood in China & Japan
• childrearing

The purpose of this study was to examine Chinese and Japanese fathers' perspectives of fathering. The participants consisted of 117 Chinese and 108 Japanese fathers of five-year olds. All Chinese had only one child while more than half of Japanese had two. The participants responded to the instrument regarding awareness of the fathers' role, involvement in childrearing, and sources of childcare knowledge. Quantitative analysis yielded the following three themes: childrearing environments, fathers' involvement in childrearing, and the role of the father. In China, 80% of mothers were in the workforce, whereas in Japan, more than a half of the mothers did not work. Chinese grandparents as well as fathers were actively involved in childcare, while Japanese fathers' long working hours prevented them from being as involved in childrearing. Chinese fathers perceived educating their children to be very important and Japanese fathers considered financially supporting children to be imperative.

• 单位
  y; 华东师范大学; 1