Aesthetics in Asian Child Care Settings.

This speech presents observations, made on a trip in June 1976, of the aesthetic environments of children in China, Japan, and Hong Kong. Home, school and day care environments are compared in terms of living and play space, room decor, the presence of art and toys, dramatic play and performance, music, nature and outdoor appreciation, food and clothing. A limited amount of residential space was evident in all the countries visited. Space available to day care centers and kindergartens fluctuated greatly in China and Hong Kong, whereas in Tokyo generous amounts of outdoor space were provided as a policy for kindergartens. In China, children's art was confined to art classrooms. Folk art and traditional art forms were highly encouraged, however, and Chinese children often showed a high level of skill. Hong Kong child care centers and Japanese kindergartens were filled with colorful posters, toys, and children's art; Japanese kindergartens also provided children with exposure to traditional dress and ritual. In China, emphasis was placed on public performance of dance, drama, and music featuring real-life themes related to national goals. Dramatic play was observed in Hong Kong and puppet dramas were common in Japan but there was little emphasis on public performance in either site. Exposure to beautiful outdoor plant and flower arrangements was available in Japan; in contrast, outdoor space was generally used for vegetable gardening in China. It is concluded that the growth of aesthetic sensibility and artistic skills is encouraged in each of the sites visited, although different factors are emphasized in each milieu. (SB)