Family Environment and Rural Child Development in Shanxi, China

Abstract

The family environment in rural Northwest China has undergone significant changes as a result of the accelerated migration of rural populations. We constructed an indicator system for measuring the development of rural children in northwest China and use Shanxi as an example to conduct field research on the effects of family structure on children’s education. We constructed a children’s comprehensive development index for regression analysis using the principal component method. We also built a mediating effect model based on the importance of parents’ involvement in their children’s development. Then, we examined the influence mechanism between family structure and children’s development in northwest rural areas. Finally, we found that family structure significantly affects the development of rural children in Shanxi Province, especially two-parent families. Furthermore, parental emotional involvement has a significant mediating effect on rural children’s development. Due to low parental emotional involvement, children from absent families are less developed than children from intact families. Moreover, parental behavior plays a significant role in mediating the relationship between family structure and child development. Due to a lower level of parental behavioral involvement, children from absent families are less likely to achieve comprehensive development than children from intact families. Consequently, we should set up a comprehensive management system that integrates family, schools, and local communities for the sustainable development of children.