Parenting Role Beliefs

Multiple Perspectives from a Suburban Chinese Classroom

Abstract

Recent research examining beliefs about gender roles among the Chinese population has shown that parenting roles are becoming less gender-bound in contemporary Chinese society. In the context of socioeconomic and political changes, fathers are becoming more engaged in their children's lives. As depicted in Chinese media (e.g., popular television shows and movies), father-children relationships in everyday family activities are being modeled. Utilizing a sample of 34 third-grade students from a suburban Chinese classroom, the present study investigated parenting role beliefs from multiple perspectives—those of students (distinguishing between boys and girls), as well as their parents (distinguishing between fathers and mothers). Results showed that parenting role beliefs did not significantly differ between fathers and mothers, nor between young male and female students. Children’s academic ranking was found to be significantly associated with their own parenting role beliefs and their parents’ engagement in specific activities. Furthermore, parents’ perceived influence of watching popular reality television shows was positively correlated with their parental role beliefs. Additionally, parental influence, as perceived by students, was positively correlated with students’ own parental role beliefs, such that the more children felt their parents played an important role in their parental role beliefs, the more egalitarian their beliefs.