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Preschool in Three Cultures

by neo bookify in Comparative Education

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ISBN :0300048122
Publisher :Yale University Press; New edition
Publication Date :January 23, 1991
Language :English
Print Length :248

Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China and the United States

“This book should be required reading for professionals in early education and makes thought-provoking reading for anyone aware of his or her own cultural blinkers.”—Penelope Leach, New York Times Book Review

“[An] important study of the way preschools both reflect and affect social change. . . . A must read for those who take social issues seriously.”—Carole C. Kemmerer, Los Angeles Times

As the numbers of mothers in the workforce grows, the role of the extended family diminishes, and parents feel under greater pressure to give their children an educational headstart, industrialized societies are increasingly turning to preschools to nurture, educate, and socialize young children. Drawing on their backgrounds in anthropology, human development, and education, Tobin, Wu, and Davidson present a unique comparison of the practices and philosophies of Japanese, Chinese, and American preschool education and discuss how changes in childcare both reflect and affect larger social change. The method used is innovative: the authors first videotaped a preschool in each culture, then showed the tapes to preschool staff, parents, and child development experts. Through their vivid descriptions of a day in each country’s preschools, photographs made from their videotapes, and Chinese, Japanese, and American evaluations of their own and each other’s schools, we are drawn into a multicultural discussion of such issues as freedom, conformity, creativity, and discipline.

“A vivid and persuasive picture of cultural variation in attitudes toward young children.”―William Kessen, author of Childhood in China

“This book informs the reader that the behavioral and attitudinal traits educators and parents hope to develop in the next generation can be observed in the way children are treated in preschool. While this is hardly a revolutionary idea, the evidence presented to support this proposition make this book extremely valuable. By videotaping typical events in Chinese, U.S. and Japanese preschools the authors were able to get the reactions of educators and parents to what they saw on the tapes. Their reactions show that while Americans value individuality, Japanese value the ability to get along with others. The Chinese, on the other hand, value discipline and selflessness. The differences in class size and pedagogical methods of the teachers are rendered understandable given the differences in values among the three societies. Tobin, Wu,. and Davidson make a convincing case for their argument that schools reflect the ideology and beliefs of the society in which they are located. All those who criticize American schools for their shortcomings should read this book. According to these authors, American schools are what they are because they reflect our society’s values.”―Yoshimitsu Takei, Associate Professor of Education and Sociology, Pennsylvania State University

“Preschool in Three Cultures is a beautifully layered book in which the authors, beginning with 20-minute video tapes of three preschools, create an intricate set of commentaries. As we react ourselves to the preschools the authors describe, and as we read the reactions of Chinese, Japanese, and U.S. educators, the familiar become strange. Self-evident principles in American schools―for example the importance of close adult supervision―become less self-evident, less ‘natural.’ We come to see our preschools less as ‘child-centered’ havens and more as institutions that clearly reflect ou0r culture’s image of childhood.”―Thomas Newkirk, University of New Hampshire

“A profound and totally unique comparative culture book. We hope that it is widely read; the video is a must too. Tobin et al, have proposed a new strategy for the American preschool constituency, one which will enable us to create a new synthesis of Old World and New World values.”―Emily Firlik, Director of YWCA’s Children Center, and Russell Firlik, Sacred Heart University

“It is an excellent teaching tool, providing students with opportunities not only to learn about other cultures but to reflect on their own.”―Kathleen Hulbert, University of Lowell