Child rearing beliefs and parenting: Paradigm shift in the new era

Abstract

The presentation draws on findings from a 3.5 year longitudinal study titled “Raising Children in Hong Kong: A Mixed Methods Study of Generational Shifts in Parental Beliefs and Practices” to examine the generational shifts in child rearing beliefs and parenting practices in Hong Kong. The research project employed mixed methods including four components: (a) discourse analytic study mapping discourses embedded in parent education resource materials; (b) life story research of parenthood experience, collecting parenthood stories from older- and younger-generation mothers and fathers; (c) survey study of parental ideologies, goals and beliefs, roles and responsibilities covering a non-random sample of five parent-cohorts oldest from the 1970s and before; and lastly (d) focus group discussions among parents, parenting professionals and teachers. The findings provide indigenous understanding to generational shifts in child rearing beliefs and practices. Based on the findings, the presentation discusses implications for parenting wok and advocates for a paradigm shift in directions for child and parenting services.