科学、健康与母职：民国时期的儿童健康比赛(1919-1937)

Science,Health and Mothering:Children Health Contests in Republican China,1919-1937

1919-1937年的儿童健康比赛最初由基督教女青年会发起,其后奶粉商加入筹办,到南京国民政府时期,在中华慈幼协济会推广下,比赛得以遍地开花。上述机构广泛运用科学概念定义儿童健康的意涵,并且倡议多种方法改善儿童健康。比赛所提倡的科学化儿童健康理念和知识,体现了时人对理想儿童与母职的想象。而在20世纪初中国的语境下,儿童健康比赛对母职的规训,反映出妇女家庭角色的变化。

This paper analyzes the influence of science on babies' health and mothering by examining children health contests in Republican China from 1919 to 1937.The contest was firstly introduced into China by the Young Women's Christian Association.Then a milk powder company also organized contests in order to promote its products.Supported by the National Child Welfare Association of China,the contests were flourishing and widespread over coastal cities during the Nanjing decade.The above-mentioned organizations and company made use of the concept of science to define children's health and to suggest various ways for improving it.By studying the children health contests and the scientific childrearing knowledge that these contests propagated,we can not only see the meanings of ideal childhood and mothering but also the change of women's role in Republican China.