Abstract
It is a global trend for nations to set forth various social policies to guide and regulate parents in their parenting practices as a form of family governance. In China, this trend is echoed by a number of 'family education' policies and guidelines. Drawing upon a critical discourse analysis of three family education documents, this article argues that the ideal Chinese parent is one with high suzhi who is responsible, rational and competent in science-based parenting knowledge and skills, conjoining closely with China's nation-building agenda to produce high suzhi citizens who could contribute to the building of a strong nation. In reference to international scholarship, these discourses are understood as a form of family governance through parental responsibilisation and professionalisation. The article also calls for more empirical research to understand the implications of these official discourses for parenting and parent-child relations in diverse socio-economic and cultural contexts around China. Copyright © 2022 The Author(s).
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 300-313 |
Journal | Social Policy and Society |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | Mar 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Apr 2024 |
Citation
Ying, Y. J. (2024). Governing the family through parental responsibilisation and professionalisation: An analysis of the state ‘family education’ discourses in contemporary China. Social Policy and Society, 23(2), 300-313. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1474746422000148Keywords
- Family governance
- Parental responsibilisation
- Parental professionalisation
- Official discourses
- China