Childhood Flashcards
term: Childhood
an innocent period in individuals early life, socially constructed as can vary in other cultures
term: biological determinism
most human characteristics- physical & mental are determined at conception by hereditary factors passed from parents
term: social construction
human characteristics made by societu grow up in, peoples behaviours moulded by surroundings
4 reasons for development of childhood:
- compulsory education
- child labour laws
- decrease in infant mortality rate
- Children Protection & Welfare Legislation
how has children laws developed childhood?
no longer economic asset but economic liability, entitled to healthcare and education
how has Children Protection and Welfare Legislation led to development of childhood?
1989 Children’s Act- welfare of children is fundamental
UN Conventions on Rights of Children- basic rights
what is industrialisations impact on childhood?
- modern industry needs on educated workforce: requires compulsory schooling
- higher standards of living & better welfare provision: lower IMR
term: information hierarchy
when children kept out of loop as wasn’t able to access info
evidence of childhood
what is the conventional approach to childhood?
children vunerable & need protection, can’t fend for themselves, adults must make decisions to ensure children cared for
conventional approach
Philips
innocence of childhood undermined in 2 ways:
- concept of parenting disorted, children have too many rights + should respect parents
- media more influecial than parents eg mags aimed at young girls encourage them to be sexual beings
childhood evidence
evidence for children as consumers?
- 7-11 years worth 20 million a year, adverts target children for ‘pester power’ to manipulate their parents to spend money that shapes their status
social class differences in childhood?
- poor mothers more likely low birth weight babies= delayed development
- children of unskilled manual workers 3x more likely experience hyperactivity
- child in poor fam likely suffer longstanding illness, fall behind school
ethnicity differences in childhood?
- not all children share same status/ experiences
- children from diff nationalities likely experience diff childhoods and chances
- 90% worlds low weight babies born in developing countires
gender differences in childhood- Hillman 1993 & Bonke 1999
- Hillman: boys more likely allowed to cross roads, use buses, go out after dark
- Bonke: girls more domestic labour especially in lone parent fans where do 5x more housework than boys
ethnicity and gender differences in childhood- Brannen 1994 & Bhatti 1999
- Brannen: study if 15-16yr olds found Asian parents stricter towards daughters
- Bhatti: found ideas of Izzat (family honor) could be restriction particularly on behav of girls
historical evidence of childhood as social construct? (4)
- aries (mini adults)
- age of leaving education
- age of marriage
- Pitcher (diff rights + duties)
historical evidence - social construct
Aries
- looked at paintings
- in middle ages childhood didn’t exist, children as mini adults
- 1700-1800 economic asset
- 1950+ active role in fam
Historical - social construct
age of leaving education
compulsory education in 1880-5-10yrs
socially unacceptable & illegal to leave school and work full time ag 12
historical - social construct
age of marriage
minimum legal age for marriage in britain 16 at 1929, before girls married at 12 & boys at 14
historical - social construct
Pitcher 1995
seperated was of childhood from other life phases
children have diff rights and duties from adults & r regulated & protected by laws
cross cultural evidence of childhood as construct?
- Wagg (not always seen as vunerable)
- Punch (Bolivia responsibilities)
- Benedict (responsibility, obedience, sex diffs)
cross cultural - social construct
Wagg
construction of childhood varies across diff historical & cultural societies bc of cross cultural diffs children not always seen as vunerable
cross cultural - social construct
Punch
children growing up in countryside in Bolivia given responsibilities & work to perform at 5- contrasts western attitudes towards child labour
cross cultural - social construct
Benedict
childhood diff in 3 ways
- responsibility at earlier age (Samoan: children never too young to perform task)
- less value placed on children showing obedience to adults(Tikopia: doing as told not a right to be expected by adult)
- children sexual behaviours often viewed differently (Trobriand Islanders: girls want sex as much as boys)
