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Parental Beliefs and Fathers’ and Mothers’ Roles in Malaysian Families

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Parenting Across Cultures

Part of the book series: Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science ((SACH,volume 7))

Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to articulate parental beliefs and fathers’ and mothers’ roles in early childcare in Malaysian families. Diverse values, traditions, religions, and socioeconomic conditions provide the context of parenting in multi-ethnic Malaysia. Whereas Malay, Chinese, Kadazan, and Indian families tend to follow traditional gender norms in parenting roles, the Bateks tend to exhibit egalitarian parenting roles in the family. Even within contemporary Malaysian families, family values and religious beliefs still construct the core foundations of successful and moral parenting in most families, whether they subscribe to the principles of Islamic tradition, Confucian teachings, Hindu wisdom, or subsistence ecology. These findings are noteworthy because they suggest that, regardless of geographical proximity or similarity in beliefs and family traditions, levels and styles of parental involvement with children are largely similar across three major Malaysian groups but vary between major Malaysian groups and the Bateks.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by a research grant from the College of Education in cooperation with the Office of the Provost, University of New Mexico. Also, I extend my sincere gratitude to Katie Gordon and Lee Ann Wyckoff for their assistance in finalizing this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Family Studies, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

    Ziarat Hossain

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  1. Ziarat Hossain
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Correspondence to Ziarat Hossain .

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  1. Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA

    Helaine Selin

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Hossain, Z. (2014). Parental Beliefs and Fathers’ and Mothers’ Roles in Malaysian Families. In: Selin, H. (eds) Parenting Across Cultures. Science Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Science, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7503-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7503-9_7

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7502-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7503-9

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