China's Invisible Crisis: Cognitive Delays among Rural Toddlers and the Absence of Modern Parenting

doi:10.1086/692290

	China's Invisible Crisis: Cognitive Delays among Rural Toddlers and the Absence of Modern Parenting
	Yue, Ai 1; Shi, Yaojiang 1,2; Luo, Renfu 3; Chen, Jamie 4; Garth, James 4; Zhang, Jimmy 4; Medina, Alexis 4; Kotb, Sarah 4; Rozelle, Scott 4,5
刊名	CHINA JOURNAL
	2017-07-01
卷号	78 页码:50-80
ISSN号	1324-9347
DOI	10.1086/692290
通讯作者	Yue, Ai()
英文摘要	This article explores the problem of cognitive delays among toddlers in rural China and the role of their caregivers in producing low levels of cognition (i.e., low IQ). According to the results of a well-tested international scale of child development, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID), cognitive delays are alarmingly common, and nearly half the toddlers in our sample score an IQ of less than 84 on the BSID test (more than one standard deviation below the mean). In analyzing the source of this, we find that poor parentingfor example, not reading to, singing with, or engaging in stimulating play with one's childrenis closely associated with these delays. Even though mothers (as opposed to grandmother caregivers), and especially more educated mothers, are more likely to follow good parenting practices, quality parenting is rare overall. We seek to find out why so many young children appear to be neglected when it comes to modern parenting practices. We empirically rule out the hypotheses that caregivers discriminate according to their child's gender; that the number of children in a given household is associated with the quality of parenting; or that caregivers living in relative poverty parent differently than their wealthier counterparts. According to the qualitative component of our study, we also find that inadequate parenting does not stem from parental indifference. Parents and grandparents obviously love their children and want them to succeed in life. Instead, the barriers appear to be primarily a lack of time and an absence of knowledge about the importance of good parenting practices. As a result, when they grow up, these children may not possess the levels of cognition needed to thrive in China's increasingly high-skill-based economy. Overall, our findings suggest that China may be facing a national crisis due to inadequate rural early childhood development.
资助项目	International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) ; UBS Optimus Foundation ; China Medical Board ; Bank of East Asia ; H. J. Heinz Company Foundation ; Huaqiao Foundation ; Noblesse
WOS关键词	LEFT-BEHIND CHILDREN ; MULTI-PROVINCE DATASET ; MATERNAL EDUCATION ; GENDER-DIFFERENCES ; DEVELOPING-COUNTRIES ; HOME-ENVIRONMENT ; SCHOOL-CHILDREN ; LABOR MIGRATION ; SON PREFERENCE ; HEALTH-CARE
WOS研究方向	Area Studies
语种	英语
出版者	UNIV CHICAGO PRESS
WOS记录号	WOS:000402990900003
资助机构	International Initiative for Impact Evaluation (3ie) ; UBS Optimus Foundation ; China Medical Board ; Bank of East Asia ; H. J. Heinz Company Foundation ; Huaqiao Foundation ; Noblesse
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://ir.igsnrr.ac.cn/handle/311030/63512]
专题	中国科学院地理科学与资源研究所
通讯作者	Yue, Ai
作者单位	1.Shaanxi Normal Univ, CEEE, Xian, Peoples R China 2.Shaanxi Normal Univ, Econ, Xian, Peoples R China 3.Chinese Acad Sci, CCAP, Beijing, Peoples R China 4.Stanford Univ, REAP, Stanford, CA 94305 USA 5.Stanford Univ, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Yue, Ai,Shi, Yaojiang,Luo, Renfu,et al. China's Invisible Crisis: Cognitive Delays among Rural Toddlers and the Absence of Modern Parenting[J]. CHINA JOURNAL,2017,78:50-80.
APA	Yue, Ai.,Shi, Yaojiang.,Luo, Renfu.,Chen, Jamie.,Garth, James.,...&Rozelle, Scott.(2017).China's Invisible Crisis: Cognitive Delays among Rural Toddlers and the Absence of Modern Parenting.CHINA JOURNAL,78,50-80.
MLA	Yue, Ai,et al."China's Invisible Crisis: Cognitive Delays among Rural Toddlers and the Absence of Modern Parenting".CHINA JOURNAL 78(2017):50-80.