Pre-School In Three Cultures by Joseph Tobin, David Wu Dana Davidson free essay sample

Critical review of ethnographic work on Japanese, Chinese Amer. preschool theories, methods, aims, values, role of govt. parents, discipline. Preschool in Three Cultures: Japan, China, and the United States is an ethnographic study of the differences and commonalities among three societies with regard to preschool practices. As the authors state, their ethnographic study reveals as much about the reviewer/researchers as their research does about the children and their teachers; either way, Japanese, Chinese, and American culture are examined from political, cultural, sociological, psychological, and educational points of view. What emerges is literally a three dimensional video record (the authors videotape their subjects, and show the results to all three groups being studied) of preschool practices in three distinct cultures. A basic overview of the book will be given, as well as its basic strengths, and in closing, a recommendation to others regarding its use.