Compares and contrasts contemporary Japanese, Chinese, and American preschools. As perceptions of work, marriage, and culture change in all 3 societies, preschools are expected to instill stability, richness, and guidance into children’s lives. Researchers employed both videotape and first-person accounts of teachers, parents, and administrators to test and revise their hypotheses. Ethnographers and other social science professionals get perspectives on a typical day at: (1) a Buddhist preschool located in Kyoto, Japan, including how children learn self control, the relationship between intelligence and behavior, misbehavior as a dependency disorder, group life and academic pressure, and the relationship between teachers and mothers; (2) a preschool in a southwest city of China, focusing on approaches to correct the problem of spoiling such as regimentation and boarding preschools; and (3) a church-affiliated preschool on Honolulu, Hawaii, including how belief in the value of liberty and notions of self-reliance, independence, individuality, and free choice are incorporated into the curriculum and the central role of play and creative expression. Despite differences in preschools, Japanese, Chinese, and American parents equally look to these institutions to minimize the undesired effects of social changes on the lives of young children.
