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Parenting Across Cultures pp 13–24Cite as

Parenting Practices and Shyness in Chinese Children

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Part of the book series: Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science ((SACH,volume 7))

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to provide a brief review on child rearing practices in Chinese culture, with a particular emphasis on three practices that are related to development of shyness in Chinese children: shaming, overprotective/intrusive parenting, and encouragement of modesty. Drawing upon LeVine’s model of culture and parenting, the chapter reviews traditional and contemporary child rearing practices in the context of recent social and economic changes in Mainland China, and how some of these parenting practices may be related to the development of shyness in Chinese children. The chapter concludes that parenting practices such as shaming and overprotective/intrusive parenting may be related to development of anxious shyness, whereas parents’ encouragement of modesty appears to be associated with expression of regulated shyness in Chinese children.

Jade that has not been carved,

cannot be used.

Person that has not been taught,

cannot know righteousness.

—The Three-Character Classic

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA

    Yiyuan Xu & Puanani Hee

  2. School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, China

    Lijin Zhang

Authors
  1. Yiyuan Xu
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  2. Lijin Zhang
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  3. Puanani Hee
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Correspondence to Yiyuan Xu .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    Helaine Selin

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Xu, Y., Zhang, L., Hee, P. (2014). Parenting Practices and Shyness in Chinese Children. In: Selin, H. (eds) Parenting Across Cultures. Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7503-9_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7503-9_2

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