Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China and the United States [Paperback]

Professor Joseph J. Tobin (Author), Professor David Y.H. Wu (Author), Professor Dana H. Davidson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 23, 1991

A comparison of Japanese, Chinese and American preschools, discussing how these schools both reflect and affect philosophies of child-rearing and early childhood education and larger social patterns and beliefs in each society.

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The authors videotaped similar situations in preschools in these three countries and then discussed the videos with teachers, parents, and others. Their efforts reveal the different behaviors and attitudes that each culture emphasizes. While all hope to respond to the needs of the child in the changing societies of each country, some amazing differences prevail. In Japan, the ratio of pupils to teacher is 30 to 1, to force children to learn to get along with others. In China regimen, order, and control are essential elements of education, partially to overcome the problem of spoiling in China's single-child family. In the United States creativity and respect for the individual are bywords. Sadly, child abduction and abuse are uniquely American concerns. A well-written, thought-provoking comparison that can only lead to better understanding. Highly recommended. Educator's Book Club alternate.
- Annette V. Janes, Hamilton P.L., Mass.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press (January 23, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300050801
• ISBN-13: 978-0300050806
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Joseph Tobin is the Basha Professor of Early Childhood Education at Arizona State University. His research interests include cross-cultural studies of early childhood education, immigration and education, children and the media, and qualitative research methods. Among his publications are Preschool in Three Cultures Revisited; Good Guys Don't Wear Hats: Children's Talk about the Media; and Pikachu's Global Adventure: The Rise and Fall of Pokemon. He directs the Children Crossing Borders project, a study of parent and staff views about what children of recent immigrants should experience in preschool settings. His newest project is a study of Deaf Kindergartens in Japan, France, and the US.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Idiosyncratic and utterly fascinating, April 3, 2001

By 

"lcmathews" (Tokyo, Japan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China and the United States (Paperback)

Tobin et al compare preschools in Japan, the US and China in a fascinating cross-cultural study. What makes this study so compelling is that you hear not only the authors' interpretations of what they see, but also the opinions of the teachers, administrators and the parents OF ALL THREE CULTURES. By having parents, teachers and administrators watch video tapes of the preschools in the non-native country, you get an eye-opening assesment of what each preschool is trying to do in its culture and how it compares with what other preschools accomplish. I have my daughter enrolled in a Japanese preschool, and the opnions and analysis on what Japanese preschools are like is dead-on, as is the analysis of the American preschool.

The real eye-opener for those readers not familiar with preschools in Japan is how chaotic, loosely-structured, and easy-going they are. The 30-1 child-teacher ratio makes chaos inevitable, but it forces the kids to learn how to deal with each other, rather than an authority figure. Contrasted to the American pre-school style, where the teacher runs the show, enforces the rules and molds the kids to act in a manner that the teacher/school has decided is appropriate, Japanese kids actually get more practice resolving conflicts and taking responsibility for problem-solving.

This is actually one study that is fun to read, too! Highly recommended.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a useful perspective from interesting studies, February 24, 2009

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Chatchalee R. (Bangkok, Thailand) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China and the United States (Paperback)

I'm a father of a 1-year old. I ordered this book as preparation for the headache of nursery-kindergarten-school-selection process. I'm happy to find this book to provide detailed case studies of 3 schools in 3 different countries, while outlining the factors, environment, and other relevant considerations. Although the authors already pointed out that this is not comprehensive (and not intended to be), the book itself provides the context and opinions for those settings. These are what I looked for. The book helps me understand the cultural, the underlying context of each country, and how these influence the children and thus the society, e.g. why Japanese are what they are, and so on. Although it's quite dated, but I don't think society and particularly education change that quickly. In addition, previously a qualitative researcher myself, I'm quite satisfied with the methodology and the way this book is written in that sense. Buy one if you want to know how early education can influence the nation, the way it always does.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars not too shabby, June 1, 2009

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Lizzy Tafoya "lb28" (seattle, WA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China and the United States (Paperback)

interesting for an academic book, easy to read, and straight-forward. also, liked how they kept opinions open instead of trying to only make one point about certain cultures/ideas