The Autonomous Child: Day Care and the Transmission of Values

Daycare has been a controversial topic since its inception in 1986. This book examines whether daycare transmits to young children values different from those within America's dominant value tradition of individualism. A field study of four daycare teachers interactions provides a conceptual model for understanding the relationship of daycare to the continuity of America's values.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 13 February 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Originally published in 1986, this book explores a field study that delves into the question of whether the social child-rearing context of daycare imparts values distinct from those prevalent in the dominant value tradition of individualism within American society. Concerns among daycare critics were that this social child-rearing within daycare settings could weaken the family and foster collectivist rather than individualistic values, thereby posing a threat to the social continuity of American values. To address this concern, the study employs a participant observation approach, examining the interactions of four daycare teachers as they emphasize both children's individual learning experiences and children's social learning experiences. By closely observing the actions and words of daycare teachers and their children over an extended period, the field study offers a conceptual framework for gaining an initial understanding of the relationship between daycare and the preservation of American values.

Originally published in 1986, this book explores a field study that delves into the question of whether the social child-rearing context of daycare imparts values distinct from those prevalent in the dominant value tradition of individualism within American society. Concerns among daycare critics were that this social child-rearing within daycare settings could weaken the family and foster collectivist rather than individualistic values, thereby posing a threat to the social continuity of American values. To address this concern, the study employs a participant observation approach, examining the interactions of four daycare teachers as they emphasize both children's individual learning experiences and children's social learning experiences. By closely observing the actions and words of daycare teachers and their children over an extended period, the field study offers a conceptual framework for gaining an initial understanding of the relationship between daycare and the preservation of American values.

Weight: 553g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032425610