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Perceptions of Hong Kong Mothers on Children’s Play: Differences in Socioeconomic Status and Child’s Gender

International Journal of Early Childhood (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

This study investigated play perceptions and practices reported by 298 Hong Kong mothers of children aged two to six. Content analysis was conducted to categorize the views of participating mothers from thirteen kindergartens, with a focus on exploring differences in mothers’ socioeconomic status and their child’s gender. The results showed that working mothers valued play for social skills development more than non-working mothers. Mothers with higher educational qualifications also placed a higher value on play for social skills development and other learning skills. There were variations in mothers’ play practices based on the child’s gender and when the play activities were scheduled during the week. Another variation was found in participating mothers’ preferences when asked about their most liked and wanted play activities with their children. Implications for mother involvement in play and gender-typed play practices are addressed.

Résumé

Cette étude a enquêté sur les perceptions et les pratiques de jeu rapportées par 298 mères hongkongaises d'enfants âgés de deux à six ans. Une analyse de contenu a été menée pour catégoriser les points de vue des mères participantes de treize jardins d'enfants, en explorant plus particulièrement les différences dans le statut socio-économique des mères et le sexe de leur enfant. Les résultats ont montré que les mères qui travaillaient accordaient plus d'importance au jeu pour le développement de la sociabilité que les mères qui ne travaillaient pas. Les mères ayant un niveau d'études plus élevé accordaient également une plus grande valeur au jeu pour le développement de la sociabilité et d'autres compétences. Des différences ont été constatées dans les pratiques de jeu des mères en fonction du sexe de l'enfant et du moment où les activités de jeu étaient programmées au cours de la semaine. Ont été analysées les préférences des mères participantes, interrogées sur les activités de jeu qu'elles appréciaient et recherchaient le plus. L'impact du degré d''implication de la mère dans le jeu, ainsi que les pratiques de jeu genrées sont également abordées.

Resumen

Este estudio investiga las percepciones y prácticas de juego reportadas por 298 madres de Hong Kong con niños de dos a seis años. Se llevó a cabo un análisis de contenido para categorizar las opiniones de las madres participantes de trece jardines de infancia, centrándose en explorar las diferencias en el estatus socioeconómico de las madres y el género de sus hijos. Los resultados mostraron que las madres que trabajan valoran más el juego para el desarrollo de habilidades sociales que las madres que no trabajan. Las madres con calificaciones educativas más altas también otorgaron un mayor valor al juego para el desarrollo de habilidades sociales y otras habilidades de aprendizaje. Hubo variaciones en las prácticas de juego de las madres según el sexo del niño y el momento en que se programaron las actividades de juego durante la semana. Otra variación se encontró en las preferencias de las madres participantes cuando se les preguntó sobre las actividades de juego que más les gustaban y deseaban con sus hijos. Este trabajo aborda también las implicaciones para la participación de la madre en el juego y las prácticas de juego de género.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank the participants for taking part in this study.

Funding

This work was supported by the Education Bureau of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) under Education Development Fund.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Educational Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Angela Siu

  2. Department of Education Policy and Leadership, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Chrysa Keung

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  1. Angela Siu
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  2. Chrysa Keung
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Correspondence to Angela Siu.

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Siu, A., Keung, C. Perceptions of Hong Kong Mothers on Children’s Play: Differences in Socioeconomic Status and Child’s Gender. IJEC (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13158-021-00302-x

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Keywords

  • Gender-typed play
  • Mother–child
  • Mothering practices
  • Play perceptions
  • Value of play