Boundaries of Parental Discipline: A Cross-cultural Interview Study of Mothers in the UK and Japan    :

Yasuko Hososaka; Mitsutoshi Horii; Kimiko Kayashima; Maki Rooksby

doi:10.66815/ejecs/2950

Authors

Yasuko Hososaka Keio University https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0278-1635
Mitsutoshi Horii Shumei University & Chaucer College https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5712-0631
Kimiko Kayashima Shumei University https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2089-3705
Maki Rooksby University of Glasgow https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7763-9556

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.66815/ejecs/2950

Keywords:

Thematic Analysis, Intensive Mothering, Parental Discipline, Parental Stress, Cross-Cultural Analysis, the UK and Japan

Abstract

This study examines how mothers of preschool children in Japan and the UK distinguish “appropriate” and “inappropriate” parental disciplines, in terms of parental strategies to manage children’s behavior. This is a qualitative, cross-country, interpretive study employing semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of 21 mothers (nine in Japan, twelve in the UK). Thematic analysis was used to interpret accounts of everyday parenting practices, challenges, and reflections on moments where application of appropriate discipline was challenging. Two overarching themes were constructed: “Regrettable discipline” and “Parenting goals and mothers’ values.” Across both themes, maternal frustration in response to children’s behavior was the primary trigger for harsh disciplinary practices, with excessiveness typically recognized through children’s unusual reactions. In this small sample, remarks of the UK participants seemed to underline household rules and family quality time, whereas an emphasis for the Japanese sample seemed to be on the impact of socio-cultural expectations and maternal self-sacrifice. Physical punishment appeared to be discussed more openly by Japanese participants than by the UK participants. This study reaffirms that harsh discipline stems from maternal stress and loss of emotional control. Implications of the finding might include the possibility that legal prohibition may be insufficient on its own to reduce harsh discipline. Further future directions were discussed to extend the current small-scale study, including avenues to support the legal system, such as stress reduction and support for parents.

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Author Biographies

Yasuko Hososaka, Keio University

is a Professor at Keio University, Japan. Her career began with six years of clinical experience as a Certified Nurse and Midwife. She holds a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from the University of Tokyo. Her research areas include Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD), discipline, parenting anxiety, midwifery techniques, and physical changes in pregnant and postpartum women. Her research, supported by a Japanese Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi) since 2021, focuses on maternal and child health.

Mitsutoshi Horii, Shumei University & Chaucer College

is Professor of Sociology at Shumei University, Japan, and Principal of Chaucer College, UK. He also Edits Method and Theory in the Study of Religion (Brill). His research focuses on the generic categories of modernity that normalize and universalize academic knowledge systems. In this field, he has published two English monographs with Palgrave Macmillan: The Category of Religion in Contemporary Japan (2018) and ‘Religion’ and ‘Secular’ Categories in Sociology (2021). Currently, he is conducting a project on the crisis of the humanities in British universities, funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (2025–2029).

Kimiko Kayashima, Shumei University

is a highly accomplished health professional and academic, who previously served as a Dean at Shumei University in Japan. Her career started with three years of clinical experience, during which she worked as a Certified Nurse and Midwife (2.5 years) and a Public Health Nurse (0.5 years). She later received her Ph.D. in Medicine from Yamagata University. Prof. Kayashima has had a long and distinguished academic career. Her research focuses on parenting and child-rearing. Prof. Kayashima passed away on October 22, 2025.

Maki Rooksby, University of Glasgow

received a Ph.D. in developmental psychology (Lancaster University), and a post-graduate certificate in psychoanalytic observations and reflective practice (Strathclyde University). As a post-doctoral researcher, Maki published on topics at intersections between social cognitive development, child-computer interaction, and child mental health. Later publications included UK-Japan cross-cultural studies of parenting behaviors; social robotics; and a phenomenon of Hikikomori, an extreme form of social withdrawal. Maki has since retired from academic research as a profession.

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