Children's Westernized Beauty Ideals in China

• In Event: Worldwide Perspectives on Gender and Education Research

Abstract

This article explores and discusses how globalizing media affected children’ drawings of female human figures, children’s perceptions of feminine beauty standards, as well as the teaching and learning practices of portrait and figurative drawing for elementary school children in the research areas in urban China and United States. The collected data revealed that children in Chinese research site had the preferences toward white mainstream beauty standards, which were evidenced in their drawings of human figures, and by observation of the school districts and students’ drawing procedures, as well as follow up interview responses. Research results of this study bring pedagogical implications for art education in both China and North America.

Author

• Tingting Windy Wang, Rowan University