Has Parenting Changed over Past Decade? A Qualitative Study of Generational Shifts in Parenting

Abstract

Although the importance of taking a historical perspective in understanding a phenomenon has been well-recognized, attempt to study generational shifts in parenting is almost non-existent in Hong Kong. Contemporary parenting is characterized as fraught with problemsanxieties about children's well-being and one's own adequacy as a parent and worries about adverse consequences of parenting on one's children. Rhetoric abounds, such as -irresponsible parenting‖, -overprotective parenting‖, -anxious parents‖, -helicopter parents‖, and -monster parents‖. Such vernaculars are frequently found in the mass media sounding alarm over the state of contemporary parenthood. However, there are only few studies tracing how contemporary parenthood has come to be characterized as such. In retrospect as practitioners and researchers, we reckon that certain generational shifts in -themes‖ of parenthood are discernible. This study seeks to unravel these generational shifts in parenthood in the recent history of Hong Kong evolving into modern city. This study covered discourse analysis of 48 sampled items of primers on parenting and parent education resource materials, and 120 life story interviews with 60 parents, each being interviewed individually twice. The respondents were recruited to represent five parent-cohorts -first-time parents in the 1970's or before, in the 80's, in the 90's, in the 2000's and in the 2010's. Each parent-cohort was made up of 6 mothers and 6 fathers, giving a total sample of 30 mothers and 30 fathers. Reporting our preliminary findings, this paper explores generational shifts in parenting discourse and people's experience of parenthood over the past decades and examines how contextual factors and discursive formations promoted by parenting professionals have shaped and re-shaped parenting in Hong Kong in the past five decades.

Influence of parental involvement and parenting styles in children’s active lifestyle: a systematic review

“…Recent manuscripts (last decade) have been included because PS vary over time, and we wanted to obtain results from today’s society. The change of PS over time has been supported by Ching-Man, Wai-Man & Sin-Min (2019) . Considering the above, being aware of the cultural changes in society in the last decade ( e.g ., immigration, parents’ role, family structure, etc .)…”

“…The decision to choose manuscripts based on the categorization of democratic, permissive, authoritarian, and negligent style allows for obtaining more results than other PS models, since most of the instruments used in sports and PA are based on said classification. Finally, having chosen recent articles is justified because parental education fluctuates over time and the results obtained are adjusted to the reality of today’s society ( Ching-Man, Wai-Man & Sin-Min, 2019 ).…”

From spectator to spect-actor: The proactive involvement of chinese parents in their conflicts with adolescents through a forum theatre format

“…However, we considered it worthwhile to conduct the present study because it may shed light on the use of FT in parent education in Hong Kong. The study by Lam, Kwong, and To (2019) on the generational shift on parenting revealed that most Hong Kong parents nowadays aspire to receive expert knowledge and advice to enhance their parenting effectiveness. However, FT considers that parents are experts who have inherent strengths and resources.…”

Adolescents’ Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Social Health in the Family: A Qualitative Study

“…Rapid progress resulting from industrialization has led to extensive variations in family characteristics. 9 , 10 These extensive variations in society and its cultural context have led to emergence of interactions, demands between family members, especially adolescents and parents. In such situations, it is difficult to raise children.…”