Cultural influences on Chinese parents’ selection of sports activities for their children

Abstract

In spite of amble of research on parental influence on children’s sports participation, our understanding in this area is limited due to the fact that most of the research to date has been conducted in Western cultures. Thus how parents from other cultures are involved in their children’s sports participation remains unknown. The purpose of the current study was to develop an understanding of the cultural influences that affect Chinese parents’ selection of sports activities for their children. Constructivist grounded theory methodology was adopted. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 15 participants in Mainland China. Open and focused coding, and memo writing were used during the data analysis. The participants’ responses revealed that a dramatic change has taken place in China’s sports culture, and Chinese parents progress through a three-phase process when selecting a suitable sport for their children. The three phases include, the cultural influence (e.g., influence from the social environment), the development of understandings of perceived benefits (e.g., benefits in psychological domain), and the consideration of sport factors (e.g., popularity of a sport). The current study also discovered that cultural consonance and social capital played important roles in this process, not only by shaping Chinese parents’ understanding and attitudes of sports activities but also by facilitating the identification of the ideal sports that meet their needs. This study advanced current youth sport research by identifying a dynamic Chinese sport culture and the resultant transformation in people’s perception of sport that coincided with it. Recommendations for future research and practical implications are suggested.