Comparing the differences between Chinese and Western family education will help us understand the characteristics and advantages of Western family education under Western culture, and gain a certain degree of reference, so as to think about family education in our country and study more scientific education. Methods and means. The following is a comparative paper on Chinese and Western family education that I recommend to you. I hope you like it! Part 1 of a comparative paper on Chinese and Western family education
"Cross-cultural Comparison of Chinese and Western Family Education"
Abstract: Family It is the oldest social unit and one of the main places for human activities. Therefore, the family is naturally one of the birthplaces of culture. The way children are raised in the family is one of the reasons for the formation of culture and is influenced by different cultures. As the earliest, longest-lasting and most common education model, family education plays a very important role in promoting the all-round development of people. Whether it is for individual growth or for the development of the entire society, family education plays an irreplaceable role. Under the influence of political, economic, cultural and other social factors, family education in different countries shows different characteristics. This article conducts a cross-cultural comparative study of Chinese and Western family education concepts and methods, which will help develop and improve family education. It should not only inherit the essence of traditional Chinese family education, but also look to the world and learn from the advanced concepts of family education in Western developed countries.
Keywords: Family education, cross-cultural comparison of Chinese and Western cultures
Introduction
No matter which country or nation, everyone believes that the family is the first school of the individual, and Parents are the first teachers. Whether it is China or Western countries, whether it is ancient, modern or modern, family education has always been at the most basic position. Family education is a scientific art. It is said to be science because it must follow objective laws; it is said to be art because the objective conditions and educational objects it faces vary widely, and the implementation of education must be random and creative. Establishing correct family education concepts, mastering scientific family education methods, and creating a good family environment and atmosphere are the prerequisites for successful family education. As China's opening up to the outside world gradually deepens and Western educational ideas continue to be introduced into our country, it is necessary for us to compare Chinese and Western family education from all aspects. By comparing Chinese and Western family education under different cultural backgrounds, we can understand the advantages and disadvantages of Chinese family education compared with Western families, and what the reference significance of family education in Western countries can be for our country's family education.
1. Similarities between China and the West
Family education is an educational practice for human beings. First, let’s look at the many similarities between Chinese and Western family education.
1. Pay attention to moral education in family education.
In his book "The Republic", the ancient Greek philosopher Plato (427 BC - 347 BC) who had the greatest influence on the Western world once emphasized this educational content through the words of his teacher Socrates. : Young people should be silent when they see older people; they should stand up and give up their seats to show respect; they should be filial to their parents; they should also pay attention to their hairstyle, robes, and shoes. In short, you should pay attention to your posture, behavior, and other such things.
Confucius (551 BC-479 BC), a great educator, philosopher and politician in ancient China who was born more than 100 years before Plato, had already expressed this in the Analects, a collection of remarks edited by his disciples have the same educational ideas. Confucius said: When a disciple enters, he should be filial; when he goes out, he should be a younger brother; he should be sincere in his words; he should love others universally and be kind to others. If you have enough energy to do it, study literature. The general idea is that Confucius said that children should be filial to their parents at home and respectful to their elders when going out, be cautious, trustworthy, caring and loving to everyone. After you have done these things, if you still have energy, come back to learn cultural knowledge. A good start is half the success. Pay attention to the moral education of your children and let your children take the lead at the starting line. Only then can you accumulate energy for the long journey of exploration in the future.
2. Pay attention to tutoring and start from an early age.
Plato (427 BC - 347 BC) was the first to put forward the idea of ??preschool social education, pointed out the role of games in preschool education, proposed that fairy tale materials should be carefully selected, and singing and storytelling should be recognized. educational significance. It is generally believed that Plato was the first person to propose a systematic education theory in the history of Western education. He attached great importance to the role of education, advocated the harmonious development of morality, intelligence and physique, and emphasized the importance of early education, which provided an important foundation for future educational development.
The ancient Chinese writer and educator Yan Zhitui (531-about 595) also believed that family education should be carried out as early as possible. He believed that family education must start with infant education. Yan Zhitui believes that the earlier parents start educating their children, the better, even starting with prenatal education. That is to say, induce children when they are just able to distinguish external things. Why should tutoring be carried out as early as possible? Yan Zhitui believes that when one is young, one’s spirit is limited. When one has grown up, one’s thoughts are scattered, so early education is essential and one should not miss the opportunity? ("Encouraging Learning"). In childhood, people have innocent innocence, strong plasticity, and are particularly receptive to new things. Seizing this period for education is not only the best period for education, but also lays a good foundation for a lifetime career. These coincide with the developmental theories of children in modern psychology.
3. Parents’ division of labor in educational roles.
In traditional patriarchal societies, fathers are given the role of "authoritative person", which is the case in various countries in China and the West. Fathers are empowered by society and are the exercisers of family power. In modern society, the situation has not changed much. The "august father" in the old days has become a "distant father". In many cultures, both Chinese and Western, mothers are portrayed as the primary caregivers, with fathers playing a limited role. The father is the main person responsible for the intellectual education of his children. The mother is responsible for the child's diet, daily life, material security, emotional satisfaction, etc., and is the main person responsible for the child's emotional cultivation.
4. Pay attention to cultivating good habits in children.
John Locke (1632-1704), British philosopher, thinker and educator. His educational work "Education" is a famous article in the history of human educational thought. In the book he elaborated on his theory of gentleman education. He believed that good virtue was the most important of all qualities. He said: "I think that among the various qualities of a person or a gentleman, virtue is the first and most indispensable; he wants to be valued and loved by others, to make himself happy, or to be happy." To get by, virtue is absolutely indispensable. If there is no virtue, I think he will not be happy in this life or the next. ?He believes that parents should pay attention to cultivating the following two good habits in their children's education: the habit of loving knowledge and the habit of field observation and personal experience.
Ancient Chinese parents also knew this truth well. They guided their children to read the Four Books, Five Classics and Hundred Schools of Thought from an early age to stimulate their desire for knowledge. Chen Heqin (1892-1982) was a famous modern Chinese educator, child psychologist and child education expert. He attaches great importance to the cultivation of good habits in children and has done in-depth research on this. Chen Heqin believes that most human actions are governed by habits, and childhood is the best period for developing habits. He said: Nine out of ten human actions are habits, and most of these habits are developed in childhood, so special attention should be paid to habit formation in childhood. But habits are not uniform, there are good and bad; if you develop a habit well, you will be blessed for life; if you develop a habit poorly, you will be burdened for life. ?Therefore, helping children develop good habits should be the main content of family education.
5. Pay attention to precepts and deeds.
Family education in ancient my country paid special attention to "preaching through word of mouth" and emphasized "keeping one's word and keeping one's word". The story of Zengzi killing pigs and Meng Mu buying meat has been passed down through the ages. On the basis of paying attention to teaching by words, we also pay attention to teaching by example. Confucius said: If his body is upright, he will not do what he is told; if his body is not upright, he will not do what he is told.
("The Analects of Confucius") Yan Zhitui, an ancient Chinese writer and educator, believes that a man's moral character is a person who behaves from the top to the bottom, and he behaves from the first to the latter. Therefore, if the father is not kind, the son will be the child. If a brother is unfilial, the brother will be disrespectful if he is not a friend; if the husband is unjust, the wife will be disobedient? In addition, parents should actively build a relationship of family trust with their children. They should believe what they say and those who are close to them; In this way, good and positive family relationships can be built. Therefore, whether it is a Chinese family or a Western family, parents have a profound influence on their children. In life, parents are role models for their children. Children receive education in the family, mostly unconsciously during activities. Parents' words and deeds play an important "subtle" influence on their children.
Parents are role models for their children, and often a simple action is much more effective than tens of thousands of instructions. German educational psychologists generally believe that the age of four or five is the most important period for cultivating children's values ????and the ability to distinguish right from wrong. 97% of children's character is developed during this period. Therefore, in the German youth education system, the family is an important place for moral education, and parents are the enlighteners of children's moral education. Germany’s education law clearly stipulates that parents have the obligation to educate their children. German parents attach great importance to creating a sincere atmosphere for their children. Parents generally abide by this principle and educate their children to be honest and trustworthy, and parents must set an example.
2. Differences between Chinese and Western families
Although we understand some similarities between Chinese and Western family education, it helps us understand some important characteristics of Chinese and Western family education. However, because China and the West are geographically far apart and each has its own unique tradition and culture, Chinese and Western traditional tutoring show their different characteristics in more aspects. Therefore, we need to analyze the differences between Chinese and Western family education, which will help us compare the advantages and disadvantages of both sides, so as to seek common ground while reserving differences and learn from each other. The differences between Chinese and Western family education are summarized as follows:
1. The purpose of family education is different
When comparing the quality of Chinese and Western students, it is often found that Chinese students have three good qualities - good test scores, With a good grasp of book knowledge and good basic skills, Western students have three strengths - strong innovation ability, strong hands-on practical ability, and strong language expression ability. The reason for such differences is related to the purpose and positioning of family education in the two cultures.
Unlike Chinese parents who want their children to be obedient, Western parents want to train their children to become independent individuals. To achieve this, they take a hands-off approach to their children's upbringing. The so-called letting go means that from the time the children are born, parents try to create opportunities and conditions for them to exercise themselves, so that they can be fully exercised in various environments.
2. Different family education values ??
The educational function of Chinese families is forced by traditional Chinese culture. Thousands of years of Confucian culture emphasizes "cultivation, family order, country governance, and world peace." Family education is given direct social significance. In addition, traditional Chinese culture regards parental education as directly related to the individual growth and achievements of children. The value that Chinese parents hold in education is to study for higher education. They only require their children to study hard and leave the rest alone. The lack of awareness of promoting the all-round development of children leaves children with no opportunity to develop and improve their quality in many aspects. Chinese parents like to see their children sitting at their desks, reciting while shaking their heads, or lying on their desks practicing exercises. Keep your eyes from the book and your hands from the book. ?I don’t hear what’s going on outside the window, and I only read the books of sages?
Western family education believes that the purpose of education is not to prepare for a living, but to prepare for survival. Western parents pay attention to cultivating their children's sense of independence and awareness of their own value from an early age. They give their children opportunities to exercise again and again, so that they dare to venture, dare to do, dare to take risks, and dare to express themselves. Dewey once said that "education is life", "school is society", and learning is done through practice.
3. The subject and focus of family education are different.
Chinese traditional family culture is manifested in the sense of authority within the family. Emphasis on obedience and respect, and emphasis on external control. In traditional Chinese culture, the main educators of the family are parents.
Therefore, they attach great importance to their unilateral shaping and influence on children's personality construction. Pay attention to your own image, ignore the interaction between children and adults, ignore the process and comprehensiveness of mutual influence, put children in a passive position, and ignore the individual existence of children.
Western civilization is centered on children, emphasizing individual struggle, equality, democracy and respect for individual rights. Western parents regard their children as equal members of the family, respect their children's personality and dignity, and allow them to think independently and make free choices. Respect children's rights and do not engage in forced education. Respect the child's self-esteem and advocate the natural development of the child's nature. Parents' responsibility is only to discover and stimulate their children's interests and develop their potential. Create a favorable environment for children, value communication with children, and value the mutuality of education. In Western family education, parents are not the masters of their children, but their children's friends.
4. Emotional education and corporal punishment
Chinese families usually believe that "if a jade is not carved, it will not become a tool" and "if it is not beaten, it will not be a talent". Perhaps because of the implicit nature of traditional Chinese culture, Chinese families are not good at expressing love and their emotional education is very weak. The communication between Chinese parents and their children is very Chinese. A word that appears repeatedly in Chinese families is "no", "can't", "can't", "don't". In addition to using negative words to guide children's behavior, they are also used to saying "should" to their children. These are all manifestations of parental power.
In Western families, encouraging language is often used to express parents’ appreciation for their children. Western parents pay more attention to personal qualities and emotional communication. Family mainly revolves around emotional construction and nurturing. They will find time to communicate with their children, listen to their children's voices, and emphasize spiritual communication. Corporal punishment is against the law in Western countries. In addition, Western parents are happy to praise their children in front of others. They believe that this can cultivate their children's self-confidence.
5. Family-oriented and individual-oriented
Traditional Chinese culture is family-oriented and focuses on personal responsibilities and obligations. The value orientation shows the following characteristics: (1) The educational function of the family is strengthened. In traditional Chinese society, the family shoulders a variety of social functions and has the distinctive feature of the isomorphism of the family and the country. Children's education is part of the continuation of family life, so the important role of family education is to achieve the purpose of "lasting tutoring". It is an important tool for maintaining and developing the social and political status of the family and preserving and promoting family culture. (2) Education takes family interests as its main value orientation. In traditional Chinese families, "bringing glory to one's ancestors" and "bringing glory to one's family" are the pursuits and goals of scholars. Personal interests and family interests are integrated.
Western culture is individual-oriented and pays attention to personal freedom and rights. In education, it is expressed by putting the educated in a prominent position and emphasizing personality cultivation. Individualism is closely related to changes in Western families. This educational tradition was established through the Renaissance movement from the 14th to the 16th century, the French bourgeois ideological Enlightenment in the 18th century, and the pragmatism of the early 20th century. Rousseau advocated nature and liberal education. Dewey proposed that education is growth, education is life, and individuals are the subjects who control the construction of their own experience. However, individualism does not mean individualism, nor does it mean child-centeredness. The family calls for individuals with rich personalities who can control themselves, control themselves, and transcend themselves, and who have perfect personality and sound personality in the true modern sense. Modern individuals, rather than selfish and dependent utilitarian individuals.
6. Scientific education and religious thought
The Western religious tradition still retains a strong influence in modern times and even into modern times, penetrating into all aspects of educational activities. Not only education has a strong Religious color, and more importantly, it gives Western education intrinsic spiritual value. Therefore, Western missionary schools were once popular. In family education, parents attach great importance to spiritual beliefs such as religion. For example, you should thank God before eating, and all family members should go to church for mass on weekends to always maintain the pure land of the soul.
Conclusion
Through the above analysis, we know the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western family education. Of course analysis is secondary, learning is important.
Therefore, on the one hand, we must inherit and carry forward the fine traditions of ancient Chinese family education, and on the other hand, we must absorb the essence of Western family education and promote family education reform with Chinese characteristics. The first is the modernization of family education concepts, abandoning outdated education concepts, advancing with the times, and keeping up with the development of the times. Establish a new family education concept, take advantage of family education, carry out personalized education, develop children's personality, and cultivate various useful talents for the country; adopt scientific methods of encouragement, guidance, and tolerance, and educate patients patiently to continuously improve children's self-esteem and self-confidence. heart and ambition. Keep up with the development of the knowledge economy and the information age, further broaden family education ideas, enhance openness, and improve the adaptability of family education; promote the organic combination of education with intellectual factors and non-intellectual factors, and educate children to learn to learn and seek knowledge; parents must continue to learn The new requirements for talents in the new era require us to fully inherit the excellent tutoring tradition of the Chinese nation and constantly learn from the advanced educational concepts in family education in Western countries. Only in this way can we better promote the healthy development of family education.
References:
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[3] Zhang Aitang, Translation and Annotation. Yan Translation and annotation of the complete works of Zhitui [M]. Jinan: Qilu Publishing House, 2004, 9.
[4] Meng Xiancheng, editor. Selected Works on Ancient Chinese Education [M]. Beijing: People's Education Press, 1980, 8.
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