WCCES 2010

Children’s Weekend Activities and Emotional Outcomes across Cultures

Asil Ali Özdoğru

Out-of-school time is one of the primary developmental contexts in children’s personal and social development. Cultural differences shape not only children’s activity patterns but also emotional outcomes associated with these activities. The purpose of this study is to look at children’s weekend activities in four countries in terms of adult structure and its relation to children's enjoyment and general anxiety. Fourth graders from Bulgaria, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States reported on their usual Saturday activities, person who chose their activities, and their enjoyment of each activity. The Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale provided a measure of children’s general anxiety levels. Children in four countries showed similarities in the amount of time they spent in watching TV and play but differences in other activities such as academic and sports activities. In overall, more than half of the time children decided their activities, level of enjoyment was higher for self-chosen activities, and anxiety was slightly positively related to activities chosen by adults. American and Bulgarian children reported higher levels of anxiety for adult-chosen activities than Taiwanese and Turkish children. Differences and similarities between four countries draw attention to social, economic, and cultural differences in parenting practices and socialization processes in children’s activity schedules and structures.

Keywords: Out-of-school time, weekend activities, cross-cultural parenting, enjoyment, anxiety

Citation: Özdoğru, A. A. (2010, June). Children’s weekend activities and emotional outcomes across cultures. Paper presented at the 14th World Congress of Comparative Education Societies, Istanbul, Turkey.