Parenthood and Childhood in the Context of Globalization

This lecture series will discuss three major topics in the domains of parenthood and childhood to highlight the changing family dynamics under the impacts of globalization, immigration and transnationalism. We will use important Western literature to compare with the Asian experience; I will discuss my research findings based on the case of Taiwan and class participants are encouraged to compare with the situations in Japan.  

1st week: How has the global circulation of discourses and ideologies shaped the changing notions of parenthood and childhood in Asia?  Reading 1) Stern, Peter. 2004. Anxious Parents: A History of Modern Childrearing in America. Ch.3&4. 2) Holoway, Susan et al. 2010. "What is a Good Mother? Historical Shifts and Divergent Models in Urban Japan." Parenting after the Century of the Child: Travelling Ideas, Institutional Negotiations and Individual Responses, edited by T. Thelen and H. Haukaines, Ashgate.                             

2nd week: How did the restructuring of global economy in recent years, including the flows of capital and labor, impact the configuration of family relations, care economy, and parenting practices in Asia? Reading: TBA.

3rd week: How do parents maneuver cross-border movements as strategies to advance children’s educational opportunities? How do immigrants negotiate cultural differences in childrearing practice? Reading: TBA.  

4th week: Conclusion