childhood Flashcards
what is the modern western notion of childhood
childhood is special period of life
children fundamentally diff from adults
children = psychologically + physically immature
children have a lack of knowledge + experiences, in need of lengthy time of socialisation
what does Pilcher not about the features of the modern idea of childhood
distinct feature is separateness
childhood = clear + distinct
how is children being distinct emphasise in society
through legislation e.g laws regulation what children are allowed, required + forbidden to do
difference emphasise in dress
difference in toys, food, books
difference in media too
what is Waggs idea of childhoods definition
childhood is socially constructed it is what members of particular societies say it is. there is no universal childhood as childhood is not natural + should be distinguished only by biological immaturity
how are children in traditional societies regarded as different from modern western cultures in three ways according to this sociologist
children:
take responsibility at an early age - have duties
less value is placed on children showing obedience - children same as adults
children’s sexual behaviour is viewed differently - with tolerance + interest
what sociologists study shows that children have responsibilities at an early age
Punch study of rural Bolivia found children had responsibilities in home + community
Holmes - Study if Samoan village found too young is never an excuse even if handling dangerous / heavy tools
what sociologists study shows that adults do not expect respect from children
Firth - among Tikopia of Western pacific doing as told is a condensation to be granted by child, not a right to be expected by adult
children are innocent, dependent, vulnerable and should not have an economic role
western notion of childhood
how are western notions of childhood being globalised to those developing rural countries
- campaigns against child labour reflect what westerners ought childhood to be whereas such behaviour may be norm for that culture for preparation of adult life
arguably campaigns have little impact on position of children in developing countries
Aries historian findings of historical differences in childhood
Middle Ages from 10-13 centuries- childhood did not exist - children not diff in nature once they passed physical dependancy of infancy
children enter wider society straight by working, having duties + same skills as adults
+ suffered same punishments
seen in paintings
according to this sociologist how do high death rates encourage indifference and neglect
high death rates encourages neglect + indifference towards infants
not uncommon for baby to be named after dead sibling /babies to be referred as it / forgetting children count
according to Aries elements of the modern biting of childhood began to emerge from 13th century onwards, how
school - education + socialisation of the young
growing distinction in children’s + adults clothing.
by 18th i entry handbooks in childrearing were wildest accessible - sign of child centredness
who criticises Aries and why
Pollock argued it is not right to say childhood did not exist as Middle Ages society had a different notion of what childhood is from today
what are the reasons for the changes in the position of children
- law constructing labour + exclusion form paid labour
children are now a economic liability - introduction of compulsory schooling
1880 education extended dependency - child protection + welfare
1989 Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act - growth of idea of children’s rights
- decline in family size + lower infant mortality
children have rights rather than responsibilities e.g United Nation Convention established rights - children’s development knowledge
Donzelot - increased supervision + protection - law + policies that specify to children
no sex + smoking children doff to adults must not display same behaviour
what Act stops child cruelty
1989 - Prevention to Cruelty to Children Act
United Nations Convetion 1989
Children Act
how has the process of industrialised increased the modern notion of childhood
shift from agriculture to factory production
industry needs an educated workforce this requires compulsory schooling
higher standards of living + Welfare lead to lower infant mortality rates - changes the notion of childhood
who argues taht childhood is disappearing - how?
Postman - childhood disappearing at a dazzling speed
there’s a trend of giving children same rights as adults - unsupervised games, children’s clothing + children committing crimes like murder
what is the information hierarchy - how does it keep innocence and childhood
adults could keep information from children such as sex, money, violence, illness… as a secret so childhood is ignorance
how has the information hierarchy decreased over the years
from 19th century literacy has increased ,children can find the information from books + media
TV blurs lines of childhood- daotryinf infirmatin hierarchy
boundary between children + adult is broken down ignorance is replaced with knowledge + cynicism
who disagrees with Postman that childhood is not disappearing
Opie childhood not disappearing based on research into games, rhymes + songs conducted with her husband
there is still a separate children’s culture
postman’s over emphasised a single cause - TV also influenced childhood by songs and allat
who is a postmodernist who argues about the idea of childhood
jenks
which Postmodernist agrees with Aries that childhood is a creation of society
childhood seen as prep for individual to become a productive adult in future to achieve this, child must be nurtured + protected by family + education
however why does Jenks disagree with Postman that childhood is disappearing
relationships are becoming more unstable as divorces on the rise
this creates feeling of insecurity
relationships with children become more valued, like a sense of identity. parents become fearful for their children so increase protection from the dangers of the world
so surveillance is increasing, childhood is not disappearing- disagree with postman
what is evaluation do Jenks
evidence for both + against Jenks is limited. some evidence that parents see relationship with their child as more important than that of their partners
what is Jenks guilty of
over generalising
despite greater diversity in family structure today, he makes greatly sweeping statements that imply that all children in lone parent,, stepfamilies etc
what is this sociologists march of progress view of the position of children improving
history of childhood is a nightmare from such we have only started to awaken from, the further back in history l, the lower the childcare and the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten + sexually abused
from looking at historical data and present data which sociologists argue a march of progress view
Shorter + Aries
todays children more valued, better cared for
e.g children protected from harm + exploitation law + education needs + psychological + medical needs
statistical data of infant mortality rate
1900 infant mortality rate was 154 per 1,000, now it is 4 per 1,000
statistical data of sizes of families decreasing over the years
5.7 births in 1760’s to 1.83 in 2014
how do smaller children sizes mean that children’s needs are met for properly
there is less economic strain so children’s economic needs are met properly
by 21st birthday 227,000 will be spent
more emotional support from both parents
who argues that childhood is now toxic and why
Palmer - rapid technological + cultural changes have caused a toxic childhood in past 25 years
junk food, computer games, intensive marketing to children, long hours worked by parents
youth have high rates of obesity, shelf harm drug and alcohol abuse violence early sexual experience + teenage pregnant
ok
what two grounds do conflict sociologists critique the march of progress view
-inequalities amongst children in terms of opportunities they face e.g many remain unprotected + badly cared for
- inequalities amongst children + adults greater than ever children e keith e dependency not greater care
where are 90% of low weight babies born
in developing countries
what is an inequality in children in gender of how they are treated- all sociologists
Bill man / boys more likely to be able to cross+ cycle go out dark unaccompanied
Bonke - girls do more domestic labour esp in line parent fams they do 5 times more
Bran nen - study 15- 16 year old girls found Asians oarents more stricter to girls
Bugatti - family honour could be a restriction to behaviour of girls
what are all the class inequalities between children
poor mothers more likely to have low weight birth babies - linked to delayed physical + intellectual development
kids of unskilled manual workers 3 times more likely to suffer from hyperactivity 4 times more likely than kids of professionals to have disorder
children born into poor fams more likely to die in infancy + suffer from illness
what do Firestone and Hult argue about the care and protection from parents to hidden
that is a form of oppression + control
protection from paid work is not a benefit of children but a inequality as they have to be dependent + powerless
all statistics do neglect and abuse
2013 - 43,000 children subject to child protection services because they were deemed to be a harm
Childline receives over 20,000 calls a year from children saying they are being sexually + physically abused - dark side of the family
how are children controlled by where they can travel to
shops show signs of no schoolchildren + children forbidden to play in certain area
starter danger fears led to more children being driven to school rather than walking
statistics of children allowed to travel home alone
in 1971 - 86% of primary school children allowed to walk alone
by 2010 - fallen to 25% Cunningham home habituated of children has shrunk to one ninth compared to 25 years ago
how do adults control children with their use of time
children made to fit their time of day into routines where children can play ,eat , get up
adults control of activity is appropriate for child in responsibility
how do control over children’s bodies cause oppression of children by adults
how children sit ,walk, run ,what they wear, sunglasses, washed, cuddled, kissed, disciplined by smaking
how do control over children’s access to recourses cause oppression
children dependent financially - not an economic asset
labour laws + compulsory schooling exclude them from employment
although state pays for child benefit, money does not go to child
pocket money given by parents depend on good behaviour
contrasts traditional societies where children own economic asset Katz found that Sudanese children were already in work from 4
what sociologist talks about age patriarchy
Gittens - adult domination + child dependency. power is held by dads over children and wife
Humphrey’s + Thiara 1/4 of 200 women in their study left abusing party bee because they feared for their children’s life’s
how is control of adult over children’s life justified
children cannot make rational decisions and unable to safeguard
although children remain under adult supervision, they are not as powerless as child liberationists claim
1989 Children’s Act and the United Nations Conventions
What is the new sociology of childhood
children are active people that can shape their own childhoods instead of passive objects that have no part in it
adults mould shape + develop
mayall and smart in the hood point of view perspective of childhood
interpretivist
mayall - we need to focus on the experiences of children themselves while they are living through childhood
mason and tipper - children actively create own definitions of family
smart et al study of divorce from being passable victims children actively involved in making situation better
