Tiger Mom: Cultural Psychology Analysis

Amy Chua is a tiger mom. With her parenting style she has raised two very successful children. She believes that Chinese parents stress having academic success while Western parents want their children to have fun while learning.

One of the big differences is that Western parents are more concerned with self-esteem than Chinese parents. Chinese parents believe in confronting issues with their children with tough love while Western parents talk about the benefits of changing their child’s issue such as eating habits. Another difference is that Chinese parents also believe their children owe them to do well while Western parents wish for their children to do their best. Western parents just provide for their children while Chinese parents feel that they have sacrificed for their children so they owe them success. The final difference is that Chinese parents know they are doing what is best for their children and Western parents encourage their children to live their lives doing what they desire.

These mindsets can be contributed to the passive genotype-environment interactions. Chua and other Chinese parents believe that, as the biological parent that is genetically related to their children, they should provide a rearing environment for her children. Chinese parents are stubborn and know that everything they are doing is for the best. The children respond to the environment.

In Chua’s story about her daughter having a hard time learning a song, Chua stands her ground and forces her daughter to practice until she gets it right because she believes her daughter can perfect the music. Chinese parents also set very strict rules about what their children can do such as not attending sleepovers and play dates along with getting only a perfect grade. The children then go through the patience of their parents and are indebted to them because of their success.

Or maybe they are used to this behavior since they have lived in an environment like this since birth so their brains are trained to always make their parents proud and can never disappoint them. It could have also been societal stereotypes. People believe that all Asians excel in school so Asian students have that stereotype as part of their self-perception so they feel they have to live up to it. Chua touches on a Confucian filial piety being part of the reason Chinese parents believe their children owe them obedience and success. This is one of the indigenous personalities. Filial piety is the belief that children must obey and respect parents then in the future the children have to provide well being of parents and they have to always behave to bring honor to the family.

According to the Super and Harkness developmental niche interaction theory, one of the components of a child’s developmental niche is culturally determined customs of childcare and childrearing. Chua called her child garbage to show her disapproval because it worked on her when her mother did the same thing. The childrearing habits were being passed down because they work and the child will feel their place as someone who needs to respect their elders. I agree with her opinions. Her style of parenting is authoritative. Chua and Chinese parents are dictating every part of their child’s life and being cruel by forcing practice or calling them out with the assumption their child’s self-esteem won’t be hurt.

Chinese parents are known for being strict and harsh but they are doing it to help their children be successful to take care of them when they’re old. However, although the children are successful, are they really happy? Would they be happier if they explored beyond academics and listened to their desires?

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