Childhood

Question 1

What does Wagg say about child being a social construction?

Answer 1

The term doesn’t have a definition that is applicable to all people in all contexts as there is no universal experience of being a child.

Question 2

Pre industrial approach to childhood

Answer 2

Aries:
A child was characterised by being no different to an adult as everyone worked on the land and lived in the same way
Work was a central part of life and there was little leisure time
High infant mortality rates impacted their value

Question 3

Industrial approach to childhood

Answer 3

Children worked in factories and mines
Laws gradually emerged to differentiate children from adults
Children were seen in need of both disciplining and protecting

Question 4

Modern approach:

Answer 4

Pilcher : modern childhood is marked. Separate from other stages of life by differences of rights + responsibilities

Child centred culture

Question 5

Reasons for changed in childhood

Answer 5

Compulsary education 
Medical and public health advances: lower infant mortality rates 
Increase in legal recognition 
Labour market 
Increased access to the internet

Question 6

Butler act

Answer 6

Free secondary school for all

Question 7

Bedroom culture

Answer 7

Concept coined by MCROBBIE AND GARBER which found that girls formed their own subcultures in the private realm which involved experimenting with appearance and gossiping

Question 8

Foster act

Answer 8

Introduced primary schooling for children aged 5 to 13.

Question 9

Death of childhood

Answer 9

Postman: The innnocence of being a young person is diminishing and children are forced to grow up more quickly than before .

Question 10

Sexual offences act

Answer 10

2003, legal age of consent.

Question 11

Child support act

Answer 11

1991. Duties and responsibilities of parents to children even if the parent is absent.

Question 12

Gershuny’s finding of contemporary childhood:

Answer 12

Both parents working now hasn’t seen a distraction from parenting roles
The amount of time parents spend playing or reading with their children has increased 4x.

Question 13

Commodification of childhood

Answer 13

Pugh - childhood itself has become a commodity which something to buy, experience or consume which a paren can give into and or deny the goods and bear the burden of their child not being able to fully participate in society.

Question 14

Age patriarchy

Answer 14

Gittins = children are oppressed under an age patriarchy which s that there is unequal power relations between adult domination and child dependency .

Question 15

Marxist perspective

Answer 15

Feeley argues that adults and families are an authoritarian unit where husbands and fathers shape children into consumers in a capitalist society

Question 16

NSPCC and child abuse

Answer 16

Received a 15% increase i contact to their helpline in 2012/13

Question 17

Poverty in children

Answer 17

Department for work and pensions - 3.5 million children living in poverty in the uk which is 27% of the population

Question 18

Social class

Answer 18

Kohn - educational , cultural and material factors of families and parents shaped the environment children grow up in. 
E.g middle class families are more culturally child- centred as they have the economic capital to provide resources

Question 19

Katz research on the effect of ethnicity

Answer 19

Found that Sudanese children were not spatially restricted and could explore the local area and Play whilst in western community children are often confined

Question 20

Mental health

Answer 20

Mental health foundation found that 1 in 10 children experience a mental illness which can affect their education

Question 21

Globalisation and childhood

Answer 21

Western globilisation has led to western childhood standards being imposed across the globe
Outcome of the UN convention on the rights of the child

Question 22

Townsend et al ; how many children live in absolute poverty

Answer 22

646 million children

Question 23

Townsend et al : how many children have never been to school

Answer 23

134 million

Question 24

UNICEF : who many child labourers in the world

Answer 24

246 million - 70% Working in ‘hazardous conditions’

Question 25

Toxic childhood

Answer 25

Palmer : children are being deprived of a traditional upbringing because their parents are not spending quality time with them instead parents are using modern technology and junk food to appease their children which is leading to inadequate socialisation

Question 26

Philips : flight from parenting

Answer 26

Culture of parenting is being undermined by the amount of rights children have been given compared to adults and as a result children no longer have to accept authority and become deviant - children grow up too quickly as they fall into problems such as teenage pregnancy and therefore do not develop emotional maturity

Question 27

Mason and Tipper

Answer 27

Children are active agents of their upbringing and can therefore shape their own experiences of family life as parents revolve their lives around the demands of their children

Question 28

Womack

Answer 28

Most state policies have aimed to improve childhood based on the idea that if families are better off then the children will be happier , however research suggests that are few items in the governments list of what is important to children - own bedroom , holidays,- make a real difference to children’s lives