Intercultural Parenting

Book excerpt: How do parenting styles differ globally? How do different, international, parenting practices impact on children’s development? Can we bring together and hybridise different international parenting styles? Intercultural Parenting explores the relationship between family, culture and parenting by reviewing established and evolving Western and Eastern parenting styles and their impact on children’s development. Authoritarian, authoritative, permissive and neglecting approaches, as well as newer techniques such as helicopter parenting, are compared with filial, tiger and training approaches, and mixed parenting styles. Practical application sections show how cultural understanding can help demonstrate how professionals might use the information and ideas in their clinical work, whilst parental questionnaires encourage self-assessment and reflection. Dr. Foo Koong Hean brings together the traditional and evolving approaches to the art of parenting practices and also showcases relatively neglected research on Eastern parenting practices. This book is important reading for childcare professionals such as health visitors, early years’ teachers and those in mental health, as well as students in family studies and developmental psychology.