Abstract
This chapter examines notions of good parenthood in Denmark and Singapore. As top scorers in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) tests, the East Asian countries are a significant reference point in Scandinavian public debates about education and parenting. Education in East Asia is associated with highly ambitious parents and functions both as a source of inspiration and of concern in Denmark. Within the East Asian context, however, attitudes towards such highly ambitious parents are not unequivocally positive. In Singapore, for example, views of good parenthood are ambivalent and ideals are shifting somewhat towards the very norms often associated with Scandinavia, namely, a more relaxed approach focused on fostering children’s social skills, creativity and well-being. This chapter explores how a shared perception of increasing global competition has led to opposing trends in educational reforms and changes in parenting norms in Denmark and Singapore respectively.
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Notes
- 1.
The fieldwork in Singapore was supported by FOA under Grant [12/233071].
- 2.
In Denmark, child professionals in kindergartens are social educators (pedagogues) rather than teachers.
- 3.
The Primary School Leaving Examination.
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Bach, D. (2016). Ambitious Parents as Ideal or Disorder: Doing Good Parenthood in Denmark and Singapore. In: Sparrman, A., Westerling, A., Lind, J., Dannesboe, K. (eds) Doing Good Parenthood. Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Family and Intimate Life. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46774-0_5
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