2022 Volume 73 Issue 11 Pages 655-664
In China, people's views on children are changing, which influences parenting practices in society. This study used anonymous surveys to investigate Chinese university students' views on children, by comparing them with those of Japanese university students. In order to explore their views on children, we used “Positive Emotional” and “Pro- Social Behaviors” scales. As a related factor, we focused on knowledge of child development. The valid respondents were 501 students from a public university in Zhejiang Province in China and a national university in Tokyo, Japan (China N = 316, Japan N = 185).
The results showed that Chinese students were on a significantly lower scale in terms of “Positive Emotional” and “Pro-Social Behaviors” and were less knowledgeable in “Knowledge of Child Development” than Japanese students. Regarding Chinese students, “Positive Emotional” and “Pro-Social Behaviors” showed a statistically significant difference between those with siblings and those without, and the experience of contact with children. In addition, Chinese students who understood ‘Mental Development’ or ‘The Role of Adults’ and were aware of child development were on a higher scale with regard to “Pro-Social Behaviors” compared with students who lacked understanding of these matters.
The findings suggested that Chinese university students who will support Next-Generation development are not really aware of children in the community. Based on the present situation in China, we discussed the necessity of reconsidering views on children from the point of view of societal change in China.
