Listening to children’s voice in urban China: a case study on the concepts of Xiao and child participation

Tese de doutoramento em Estudos da Criança (especialidade em Infância, Cultura e Sociedade) ; This thesis reflects on the Chinese tradition of Filial Piety - ‘Xiào’ - a cultural construction that places the younger generations in a position of respect and submission to elders - and its relationship with the current understanding on the Rights of the Child in contemporary China. Placing its focus on the Rights of Participation, the research adopts a postcolonial approach to Children’s Rights, challenging hegemonic views and contextualizing participation within the cultural traditions it seeks to understand. Designed as a case study, the research aimed at investigating urban Chinese families’ acknowledgment of Xiào and its influence on the possibilities of children having their opinions taken into account in matters concerning their lives. Data collection took place in an international school in urban south China, adopting a qualitative approach. By conducting interviews with parents, grandparents, and focus groups with children, the research was developed within the Sociology of Childhood theoretical framework, involving adults as significant figures in children´s lives and considering children as reliable participants who are capable of providing relevant data about their own experiences. Findings have indicated that cultural constructions that regard Filial Piety as a highly important virtue have not disappeared, but meanings attributed to Filial Piety have been changing in close relation with the participants’ experience of citizenship across time. Children’s participation in home-decision making has been found to happen among patterns of compromise, resistance, negotiation, and the development of a sense of responsibility. Findings also indicate that some topics of family daily life are more open to discussion than others, reinforcing changing patterns of Xiao and the construction of a sense of child participation built around both global and local influences. ; Esta tese reflete sobre a tradição chinesa de ...