childhood

Question 1

How can we prove childhood is a social construct?

Answer 1

• differences in childhood between societies
• differences in childhood within a society
• differences in childhood over time

Question 2

What did Benedict find out about the differences in childhood between societies?

Answer 2

• children in non-western countries have more responsibility at home and work
• in non-western cultures, the expected behaviour of children was less clearly seperated from the behaviour of adults

Question 3

What is an A03 to Benedict?

Answer 3

• at the time of Benedict’s research, western societies had a very different opinion of non-western cultures. There was an idea that adults in these societies were child-like themselves

Question 4

How is childhood seen in the west?

Answer 4

• childhood in the west is seen as innocent and vulnerable, and needing a lengthy period of nurturing and socialisation
• pilcher – childhood in the west is clearly defined as a seperate section of life to adulthood

Question 5

How is childhood different within our society?

Answer 5

• middle class children may be more likely to go to private school and afford the latest technology

Question 6

how has childhood changed over time?

Answer 6

• children used to have similar responsibilities to adults
• work began at an early age
• there were no differences in rights
• shorter – high infant mortality rates meant that parenting attitudes were different

Question 7

Why has there been a change in childhood?

Answer 7

• lower infant mortality rates
• law against child labour
• compulsory schooling and other laws

Question 8

Why does Postman believe childhood is disappearing?

Answer 8

• the shift from print culture to television culture

Question 9

Why does the march of progress believe that childhood has improved?

Answer 9

• children today are:
  
  • more valued
  • more protected
  • better educated
  • are healthier
  • have more rights

Question 10

What does march of progress DeMause believe about childhood?

Answer 10

• the further back in history we go the lower level of childcare, the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten, terrorised, and sexually abused

Question 11

What arguments support the statement that childhood has improved?

Answer 11

• child centered families
• changes in law and society

Question 12

What arguments disagree with the statement childhood is improved

Answer 12

• toxic childhood
• age patriarchy

Question 13

Why does Palmer believe childhood is worsened?

Answer 13

• toxic childhood
• rapid technological and cultural changes have damaged children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development

Question 14

Why does Gittens believe childhood has deteriorated?

Answer 14

• age patriarchy
• adult domination and childhood dependency
• this may assert itself in the form of violence against children