Religion and Childcare

An Examination of Childcare Philosophy in Christian and Buddhist Childcare

Abstract

An overview of the historical evolution of childcare and early childhood education in Japan reveals strong ties to religion. This study analyzed the philosophy (goals, characteristics, etc.) of religious-based childcare, and clarified the religiosity and values of both Christian and Buddhist childcare. The method used was to select 40 Christian and Buddhist religiously oriented childcare and early childhood education facilities, and extract the philosophy of childcare expressed in each. These were analyzed by text mining to determine word frequencies and the number of times the word "childcare" co-occurred. The results of the analysis suggested that Christian day-care centers place importance on gratitude, worship, the Bible, and love. The results suggest that Buddhist childcare emphasizes gratitude, life, compassion, cooperation, and group life.