Cultural Stereotypes Related to Parenting

Cultural Parenting Styles

• Parenting styles differ from one culture to another because of differences in the values and worldviews of those cultures. For instance, Western societies place a much higher value on individualism than on family reputation, while Asian societies tend to do the opposite. This difference in worldviews influences the parenting styles in both cultures. While these differences are real, they can be exaggerated or misrepresented into stereotypes that are not accurate or are not as negative as the stereotype would indicate.

The Tiger Mother Stereotype

• According to a 2011 article in the "Pacific Standard," parents accustomed to the Western parenting style might see the Asian parenting style as controlling and harsh. However, research at Germany's Technical University at Aachen found that Asian teenagers considered parental control as an expression of love. The stereotype of Chinese-American parents as controlling, demanding and harsh received a lot of media attention with the publication of Amy Chua's "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother." However, this view was disputed by Ruth Chao, a psychologist at the University of California. According to Chao, the Chinese parenting style expresses affection through setting firm limitations and high expectations, not harsh treatment. Studies at Northern Illinois University and the University of California also failed to support the stereotype of Asian-American children and teens as being stressed-out or depressed by high parental expectations.

The Bad Career Woman Stereotype

• In addition to stereotypes about the parenting styles of other cultures, many people subscribe to stereotypes about parenting within their own culture. For instance, Madeline E. Heilman at New York University and Tyler G. Okimoto at the University of Queensland found that working mothers were often perceived by both bosses and coworkers as being bad employees compared to working fathers and women without any kids. Because of cultural stereotypes about differences between men and women, men were considered capable of focusing on work despite having kids, but women were not.

The Bad Mother Stereotype

• Along with being perceived as bad employees who were too focused on their kids, Heilman and Okimoto also found that working mothers were often perceived as bad mothers who were too focused on work. The contradictory nature of this stereotype exemplifies the problem with all stereotypes. By distorting facts such as the cultural differences between China and the United States or the difficulties faced by working mothers into sweeping judgments, stereotypes make it difficult to see any circumstance for what it really is.