Understanding Taiwanese children's perceptions of peace and strategies to make peace: a social and cultural perspective.
This exploratory study described Taiwanese children's perceptions of peace and what they think children can do to make peace. In-depth interviews were conducted with 60 Taiwanese children ages 4 to 18 years. The most predominant themes for the perceptions of peace were what peace is not, prosocial behaviors, positive emotions, and positive evaluations of peace. Approximately half of the children (48%) provided specific strategies for making peace. The suggested strategies generally were based on the child's immediate environment, such as "don't fight" "don't argue," and specific prosocial behaviors. 52% of children either said, "I don't know" when asked what children can do to make peace, or did not feel empowered to make peace. The initial findings were interpreted in terms of sociocultural issues, such as cultural heritage and upbringing, as well as within a political context.
Center for General Education, College of Humanities and Education, Chung Yuan Christian University, 200, Chung Pei Road, Chung-Li, Taiwan 32023.
Liang-Yu F
LY
Deng
Yi-Ling
YL
Shih
D000293:Adolescent; D001290:Attitude; D001364:Awareness; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011057:Politics; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012919:Social Behavior; D012924:Social Conditions; D012931:Social Environment; D012938:Social Perception; D012945:Social Values; D013624:Taiwan; D014857:Warfare