PARENTING PRACTICES AND CHINESE SINGLETON ADULTS

Abstract

Since the Reform Era, Chinese society has witnessed a rise of individualism. The family has transformed from a unit of economic production to a center of emotion. Based on ethnographic research with 24 second-generation Chinese singletons, this essay explores parent-child relations in contemporary Beijing through the memories of young singleton adults. This research identifies two cultural modes of parenting and demonstrates the central role of emotions in both. It also illustrates the psychological dynamics of individuals when confronted with multiple cultural models.