Shifting Traditions of Childrearing in China : Narratives From Three Generations of Women

Unique in its intergenerational approach to understanding motherhood in China, this book sets out to study Chinese mothers’ experiences of childrearing, emphasising that gender is not immutable and that motherhood is not isolated from other social domains. The author adopts an historical and sociological design with a case study approach to investigate three living generations of women from 12 families of varied social-economic backgrounds in China. By comparing three aspects of these mothers’ lives – namely the growing-up experiences, mothering experiences and intergenerational transmission between mothers and daughters – this research provides an invaluable opportunity to ‘observe’ how changing structural elements shaped mothers’ varied subjectivities similarly or differently. It also addresses the continuities of the women’s experiences, highlighting the gendered and devalued roles in childcare that existed across three generations, reflecting the complex dynamic relationship between women’s agency and China’s social structures. This is an essential read for researchers, students, professionals and practitioners in the fields of sociology of families, childhood and education, gender studies, motherhood/parenthood studies, narrative studies, social policy and development studies. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables Acronyms and Abbreviations Acknowledgements 1 Introduction Biographical Reflections Mapping the Historical Background of the Three Generations of Women An Overview of the Book Notes 2 The Conceptualisation of Mothering Introduction Scientific Discourses in Child-Rearing Practices Researching Motherhood From a Feminist Perspective The Western Feminist Concepualisation of Motherhood Critiques of the Essentialist View and Women’s Oppression Focusing On Mothers’ Agency and Practices Motherhood and Diversity Social, Historical and Policy Analysis: Three Main Historical Periods Emerging Mothers’ Subjectivities Media Portrayal of Chinese Mothers Motherhood Perceived By Chinese Feminist Research Intergenerational Approaches to Childrearing Grandparenting in the West Grandparenting in China Intergenerational Transmission My Feminist Conceptualisation of Mothering 3 Sociological Imagination and Psychological Sensitivities: Research Methods Matter Research Setting, Sampling and Recruitment Analysis of Stories Case Selection Some Methodological Issues Artificial Setting for the Big Story Reflection On the Dated Situated Subjectivity Partial But Valid Interpretation Notes 4 Growing-Up As a Girl: Experiences Across Three Generations Introduction The Great-Grandmothers: Growing Up in a Patriarchal Family Society The Sample in Its Historical Context Motherhood Through the Girls’ Eyes A Capable Housewife and Caring Mother A Capable Housewife A Caring Mother A Biased Mother and a Useless Mother The Sample in Its Historical Context The Grandmothers: Growing Up Under the Red Flag Happy and Sad Stories of ‘free-Range Style’ Stories About a Warm Father The Mothers: A Modern Girl The Sample in Its Historical Context The Stories of Growing Up Preference for Boys in Modern Times Summary Notes 5 From ‘liberated Woman’ and ‘virtuous Wife and Good Mother’ to Full-Time Mother Introduction and Concepts Work and Care The Great-Grandmothers’ Generation Great-grandmother Zhao Xue: A Liberated Woman Lived Life Told Stories Synthesis of the Lived Life and Told Story Great-grandmother Zhu Yu: An ‘irresponsible’ Mother Lived Life Told Stories Synthesis of Lived Life and Told Stories Summary Lived Life Told Stories Synthesis of the Lived Life and Told Stories The Lived Life Told Stories Synthesis of Lived Life and Told Stories The Grandmothers’ Generation Grandmother Jiang Ping: A Regretful Mother Grandmother Chen Rong: A ‘virtuous Wife and Good Mother’ Summary The Mothers’ Generation Mother Li Wei: A Chinese Version of Intensive Mothering The Lived Life Told Stories The Omissions in Her Story Synthesis of the Lived Life and Told Stories Mother Wang Cheng: A Modern ‘careless’ Mother Lived Life Told Stories Synthesis of the Lived Life and Told Stories Summary Conclusion Notes 6 Intergenerational Transmissions Across Three Generations of Women Introduction Transmission Processes Tangible and Intangible Things Conscious and Unconscious Transmission Receiver’s Resistance and Relationality Mothers’ and Other Family Members’ Influence in Transmission Intergenerational Transmission and Social Mobility Case Analysis Intergenerational Transmission in the Zhao Family Three Zhao Women’s Lived Lives Transmission of Occupational Routes The Transmission of Relational Pattern: The Distanced Mother–daughter Relationship Transmission of Personal Qualities: A Family of Strong and independent Women Intergenerational Transmission of the Shen Family The Three Shen Women’s Lived Lives Transmission of Cultural Capital: A Curse and a Blessing (Unconsciously) Transmitting Family Trauma and (consciously) transmitting a Close Relationship Among Women Conclusion Notes 7 Discussion and Conclusion Introduction The Complex Pictures of Change and Continuity Growing-up As Girls Across Three Generations Mothering Experiences Intergenerational Transmission Reflection of Concepts Biographical Time and Historical Time Practices Intensive Mothering Or Intensive Grandmothering/grandparenting The Contribution of An Intergenerational Design: Reflection On Women’s Agency The Evolution of My Biography Note Appendix 1 An Introduction to the Families Zhao Family Li Family Qian Family Sun Family Chen Family Jiang Family Han Family Wang Family Zhu Family Shen Family Wu Family Chu Family Appendix 2 A Brief History of Bengbu Appendix 3 The Cultural Revolution The ‘four Clearances’ Formal Start The Intensive Period of the Cultural Revolution Coming Back to the City References Index "Unique in its intergenerational approach to understanding motherhood in China, this book sets out to study Chinese mothers' experiences in childrearing, emphasizing that gender is not immutable and that motherhood is not isolated from other social domains. The author adopts an historical and sociological design with a case study approach to investigate three living generations of women from twelve families of varied social-economic backgrounds in China. By comparing three aspects of these mothers' lives, namely the growing-up experiences, mothering experiences, and intergenerational transmission between mothers and daughters, this research provides an invaluable opportunity to 'observe' how changing structural elements shaped mothers varied subjectivities similarly or differently. It also addresses the continuities of the women's experiences, highlighting the gendered and devalued roles in childcare across three generations, which reflects the complex dynamic relationship between women's agency and the social structures. This is an essential read for researchers, students, professionals and practitioners in the fields of sociology of families, childhood and education, gender studies, motherhood/parenthood studies, narrative studies, social policy and development studies"-- Provided by publisher