A comparison of the child rearing attitudes of Japanese and American mothers

Abstract

An examination of parenting magazines in Japan and the US reveals that Japanese mothers tend to seek advice from fellow mothers while American mothers tend to seek updated information on child-rearing practices. Up to 60% of articles in Japa nese magazines are based on some form of readers' input while less than 10% of arti cles in American magazines are. Content analysis of letters reveals that Japanese mo thers often write to tell funny experiences or exchange ideas, while Americans write to comment on the content of the magazine articles. These differences seem to reflect differences in the child-rearing traditions of both countries. Japanese child rearing is more communally oriented and sharing plays an important role. American child rear ing, however is a more private affair, where parents are responsible for gathering proper information.