Tiger Mom's are Superior?

Kevin Wang

ASA 2 Section 2

Week 9

Tiger Mom’s are Superior

So in the excerpt “Why Chinese Mothers are Superior” by Amy Chua, Chau describes her experiences as a mother and the parenting style of a “Chinese mother”. Her parenting style consisted of strict rules, disciplinary actions, and clear expectations and standards. Chua expects her children to be the best in academics, practice and play instruments well, and grow to be confident people. Her humor is enjoyable and sarcastic, and her points are valid, yet clearly biased.

Growing up, I experienced the “tiger” parenting style early on, and eventually was given, or fought for, more freedom from my parents. In the end however, I appreciate the rigorous studying and tough standards that forced me early on to only accept the very best from myself. But it is easy to see why this parenting can seem _­dangerous. The difference in the two parenting styles she describes is the trust and confidence parents have in their children.

Chua seems to assume emotional strength in her children to withstand the high standards, and that parents should be building work ethics to prepare for the world on their own. The other side, the “Western” parenting style, assumes self-discovery and growth in children to be able to grow and learn work ethics on their own, and that parents should be building emotional stability to prepare them to grow on their own.

Amy Chua’s husband, Jed Rubenfeld, is Jewish and says he supports and agrees with Chua’s parenting style. How are culture and parenting style related? 

An article I remember reading around the time "Tiger Mom" became popular.