– Enculturation of Children and Young Adults Between China and the US

In sociology, enculturation plays a significant role in training and teaching children and
young adults to embrace and adapt to their surrounding culture and assimilate its values and
practices as they grow. It is the process through which individuals learn the dynamics of the
culture they live in and acquire norms and values necessary or appropriate to that culture plus its
worldview. This process directly shapes, directs, and limits the development of children as they
sail through their teenage years to young adulthood into old age. Over the years, sociology
studies have shown that the enculturation process varies significantly across cultures, especially
between collectivist and individualistic cultures. Society’s expectations of the two cultures are
often poles apart.
For example, the enculturation or social development of children and young adults, or
what society expects them to learn and later practice in their adult lives, varies significantly
between China (a collectivist society) and the US (an individualist society). For example, China’s
socialization or enculturation process stresses social hierarchy, group solidarity, and
interdependence. In contrast, American society focuses on, teaches, and expects their children to
be or become self-sufficient and independent, develop unique personalities, and express
themselves freely. These values and norms are instilled early in life (Zhao & Kushnir, 2019).
How children are socialized in these countries also differs significantly. China focuses on
parental and communal socialization whereby children are taught Chinese norms, morals, and
values mainly by their parents, family members, and community elders. In a collectivist Chinese
society, parental socialization and communal socialization are the primary techniques for
teaching young adults about their cultures (Yeung, Tsang, & Chen, 2019). In contrast, the

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primary socialization agents in the US include the peer group, the family, the mass media, and
the school. Most American families do not depend on communal socialization but put so much
responsibility on mass media, school, peer groups, and family.
It is also important to note that early childhood and middle-age education play different
roles in China and the US. As an open/free economy, the American educational system prepares
children to be independent thinkers and creative in life. The goal is to socialize or prepare people
to be “social beings” that must strive to discover their inner talents and put them into good use to
acquire material wealth and live quality, happy, satisfying, and independent lives. In contrast,
China’s education system is deeply rooted in its traditions and values of collectivism. Therefore,
its education system and curriculum are rigorous, emphasizing education attainment and morals
relevant to society’s needs.

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References

Yeung, K W., Tsang, E. Y., & Chen, H. (2019). Parental socialization and development of
Chinese youths: A multivariate and comparative approach. International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(10), 1730. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16101730
Zhao, X., & Kushnir, T. (2019). How US and Chinese children talk about personal, moral, and
conventional choices. Cognitive Development, 52, 1-12.