Governing the family through parental responsibilisation and professionalisation: An analysis of the state ‘family education’ discourses in contemporary China

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2 Citations (Scopus)

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 languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)300-313
JournalSocial Policy and Society
Volume23
Issue number2
Early online dateMar 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 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/S1474746422000148

Keywords

  • Family governance
  • Parental responsibilisation
  • Parental professionalisation
  • Official discourses
  • China

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