Becoming a Moral Child: The Socialization of Shame among Young Chinese Children

In an effort to understand shame in Chinese terms, this ethnographic study examines parental beliefs and practices with respect to shame, as well as young children's participation in shaming events. Nine middle‐class Taiwanese families participated in this study. Interviews with the primary caregivers and longitudinal observations of spontaneous home interactions revealed that the socialization of shame was well underway by age two‐and‐a‐half. Two types of events were identified, most incidents of which were playful and involved the child's active participation.The child's rudimentary sense of shame was manipulated in order to teach right from wrong and to motivate the child to amend. These events were vivid illustrations of the practice of opportunity education.