Bearing, Breeding, and Education — The Culture of Childcare in Tang Dynasty

• Main Authors: Chia-Chi Kao, 高嘉琪
• Other Authors: De-Hsi Sung
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2008
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/90673813706864277757

碩士 === 國立中興大學 === 歷史學系所 === 96 === Children, as long as women were neglected in the ancient times. It is difficult to research relative records about them historically. At present, all the sources about children and women were written by adults, especially men. Those narrations in men’s point of view enhance the difficulty to construct children and women’s history. In traditional China society, there are various customs of childcare which are overwhelmingly accepted. Even in Tang dynasty, which is notable for the open-minded manners, boys were important than girls, they were treated in different ways. This paper is mainly separated into three sections, containing cultural issues of bearing, breeding, and education in records and biographies written during Tang dynasty. First, I will argue the association of customs, taboos, and bearing, especially for eugenic boys. Second, I will concentrate on children’s daily life, especially on game-playing, operating, and punishment by parents. Finally, I will analyze family education. The Tang’s family education followed traditional ways, the different ways to treat children by parents was worthy of discussion. I aim to construct the Tang’s history of children and the culture of childcare by series of discussion and analysis with this paper. Creating a comprehensive survey of the culture of childcare in Tang dynasty which contains different aspects in traditional society is extremely important. In addition, eugenic and serious family education is a complicated issue. According to this paper, I will provide ways of introspection into the education of child in 20th society.