Chinese Moms vs Western Moms and Global Dominance

[Count of Montesano]

A Chinese American Harvard professor and mother of two just released a bestselling book praising how Asian parents are far superior to the lax and lazy standards of most American parents. Her book is called the "Battle Hym of the Tiger Mother," and outlines what she sees as the recipe for creating overachieving children who have what it takes to succeed in a global marketplace. From her article in the Wall Street Journal:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...528698754.html

lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:

• attend a sleepover

• have a playdate

• be in a school play

• complain about not being in a school play

• watch TV or play computer games

• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A

• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama

• play any instrument other than the piano or violin

• not play the piano or violin.

Now, the rest of the article does describe a parenting style that to most of us would seem abusive. But it does get results - both her daughters are straight A students, one has played concerts at Carnegie Hall and was accepted to a top music school. The other is on the fast track to the Ivy leagues.

Which to me raises an even bigger question: if Amy Chua's parenting style is reflective of how most Chinese moms raise their kids, will the West be left in the dust in 50 years? Does she have a point that American kids are too coddled, not held to high standards, and being raised to fail in a global marketplace?

Interesting questions. I wonder if Athenian moms ever worried how the Spartan moms were raising their kids...

[Manco]

And what are the social and psychological ramifications of such an upbringing?

An entire nation of socially debilitated people doesn't seem all that thriving to me. One could even ask what the point is of all their material and intellectual wealth if they won't ever enjoy it.

[CiviC]

Interesting questions. I wonder if Athenian moms ever worried how the Spartan moms were raising their kids...

And what Spartans ever accomplished and left us as civilisation? The 300?
Athens on the other hand left us a huge legacy : democracy, philosophy, arts, science, etc.

Free people will always be more creative and happy, opression and repression can obtain results but the trauma and brainwashing will always be a handicap later.

[Veliky Kaiser Theos]

Getting only A's in school does not mean they are better educated (although they probably are) as the majority of learning is done outside of school. I have read of studies comparing school scores for Americans with other nations, as well as basic tests for adults aswell, showing results that American teenagers are under-performers but the adults were fared quite well.

[Snoopy]

Getting only A's in school does not mean they are better educated (although they probably are) as the majority of learning is done outside of school. I have read of studies comparing school scores for Americans with other nations, as well as basic tests for adults aswell, showing results that American teenagers are under-performers but the adults were fared quite well.

That pretty much sums it up. American high school students usually don't perform especially well, but American adults make up for it (through an advantage in critical thinking, creativity, etc maybe, or maybe something else).


Also, it is more like Sino-American moms vs Western moms. In China proper, assuming they are in an area that doesn't result in, say, farm work, the school system is extremely messed up. Grades are incredibly important in getting to a good school, and standards are very high, but the teachers are rather infamous for taking bribes.

[RomanSoldier9001]

And what Spartans ever accomplished and left us as civilisation? The 300?
Athens on the other hand left us a huge legacy : democracy, philosophy, arts, science, etc.

Free people will always be more creative and happy, opression and repression can obtain results but the trauma and brainwashing will always be a handicap later.

All of wich would be destroid if wasnt for the Spartans.
And easy on exageration there Sparta also had their political concept ,philosophy arts and culture in fact many Athenians saw Sparta as role model. And of course dont forget the rest of Greece yes Greece was more than 300 Spartans and Athenian Democracy a democracy that was so imperfect and rise so conflifts along its history that I realy doubt that was that big of deal in the time that it existed of course its influence was important afterwards.
Well I may have bad future but I at least I didnt had terrible childhood xD. Asian partens apparently look like the worst parents ever I mean no videogames? Well I guess not a lot of asian kids in these forum... Of course this would be fine if was true since it is not.
You have Parents that want to live their dreams by screwing up their children childhood in all peoples I am afraid White,Black,Yellow etc. I am sure that if I go to Japan I would probaly have hard time find some parent that doesnt let his child play videogames. And last time I check Japanese are Asian. And this can be used for Koreans,Chinese whatver.

[CiviC]

All of wich would be destroid if wasnt for the Spartans.

The Spartans saved nothing. Athens defeated Persians first at Marathon, then in the second war at Salamina. The 300 only made a stand, that didn't prevent Persians to conquer afterwards Athens and burn it. The last decisive stand was of Athenians at Salamina after seeing their city destroyed.

And easy on exageration there Sparta also had their political concept ,philosophy arts and culture in fact many Athenians saw Sparta as role model.

The philosophy of Spartans was to despise culture, arts and science. And as much Spartans despised Athenians the same Athenians despised Spartans.

I don't think however, Chinese are like Spartans, I'm only against Spartan education.

[Carolus Quintus]

And what Spartans ever accomplished and left us as civilisation? The 300?
Athens on the other hand left us a huge legacy : democracy, philosophy, arts, science, etc.

Off-topic, but: Without Sparta, Athens' legacy would not exist today.

[EmperorBatman999]

You don't need perfect grades to be productive. In fact, some of the people who did terrible in school became great in their adult life.

Besides, childhood is when you're supposed to live care-free, not be forced into a strict, regimented order.

[The Dude]

China's rapid gains are not due to the quality, but the quantity of their people.

With that said, they still have more than we do because we are starting to lack both properties. I would elaborate, but I think everyone knows my rants on this by now.

[Dr. Croccer]

If the Chinese want to treat their children like animals, they can go ahead. I'm not going to follow them.

[Blaze86420]

There's some truth to that, the majority of kids in my more advanced classes, especially International Baccalaureate courses, are Chinese. They're human calculators, get over it.

[Copperknickers II]

The Indian approach is better, strictness but not ridiculous like Chinese ones.

[Arceus]

The Indian approach is better, strictness but not ridiculous like Chinese ones.

oh really how so? from what I heard, Indian parents are even worse, sometimes resorting to hire a hit-man to kill a daughter in law who happens to be black

Still I can't beleive that all Chinese parents are like that, aren't we just generalising some extreme cases?

yea definitely, I have a few Chinese friends, and from what I see their parents are strict, but not that crazy like the article said

[Copperknickers II]

oh really how so? from what I heard, Indian parents are even worse, sometimes resorting to hire a hit-man to kill a daughter in law who happens to be black

Yes, dating and marriage is a whole different matter, we're talking about academics though.

[Central Asian Qaghan]

The Indian approach is better, strictness but not ridiculous like Chinese ones.

I tend to agree. Students in Pakistan and India have a higher mental ability in Math, Science and recently Computers. Compared to Western Education they move faster and have a better understanding of these vital subjects. The only thing they lack, in Pakistan at least is a good English Education but they make it up for having excellent Urdu and Persian language skills.

Westerns kids are too coddled and from my TA position too lazy. I wonder how they could ever come into university with that kind of attitude.

[Rebel Jeb]

My girlfriend is Chinese and her mother is awful. It all depends on the specific mother.

[lord o kelly]

Enjoy having a nation of robots.

They are smart but can't think outside the box.

[CiviC]

Still I can't beleive that all Chinese parents are like that, aren't we just generalising some extreme cases?

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

Not really. Chinese education seems to be improving, and although arguably getting A grades does not make you better at not beng conned, it makes you far more technically savvy and far more prestigious, since all the employers care is your number of certificates.

Otherwise, I commend them. I hardly see them as being "treated like animals", only being treated as Western mothers used to until fairly recently in our history, and the West was by no degree smaller by it. On the contrary, it is this sort of approach that makes the Chinese like what the Westerner crowd now despises, like High Art, Classical Music, etc... And is a nice counterpart to mere technical understanding.

We are all robots. People are still magnetically attracted towards the needs of the labour market for the sake of their own lives, but a well educated man at least has far more choices in his hand than a man who fails school.