Childhood

Question 1

What does social construction of childhood mean?

Answer 1

The concept of CH is socially constructed defined by society

Question 2

How can we show childhood is socially constructed?

Answer 2

Carrying out cross cultural and historical comparisons

Question 3

Name a cross cultural comparison study

Answer 3

Children in the developing world

Question 4

What did Townsend (2003) do?

Answer 4

• Collect data from 46 developing countries
• Found 1/3 C suffer absolute poverty
• 1/3 C aged 7-18 have never been to school
• Over 375 million use unsafe water sources

Question 5

What is Joseph Kony’s LRA?

Answer 5

• Kidnaps children and turns them into soldiers
• Makes them kill their parents
• In Uganda
• Estimated 30,000 affected

Question 6

What did Ruth Benedict (1934) do?

Answer 6

• Summarise differences C are treated in non-industrial societies
• Argues they take responsibility from much earlier age, less value is placed on C being obedient to A and sexual behaviour is viewed differently

Question 7

What did Ruth Benedict suggest?

Answer 7

The differences demonstrate a less dividing line between CH and AH in non-western areas

Question 8

What did Aries ‘A Century of CH’ suggest?

Answer 8

• Studied paintings from 15th and 16th Century
• C we’re difficult to spot
• Led him to conclude C did not lead sep lives

Question 9

Problems of Aries study

Answer 9

• Not accurate
• From an A perspective
• May not be illustrated correctly
• Doesn’t represent class sufficiently

Question 10

What did Shorter (1975) suggest?

Answer 10

• Parental attitudes to C in early 15th & 16th Century were very diff to today
• High DR amongst C led to indifference & neglect

Question 11

What we’re family units like in mid-nineteenth century?

Answer 11

Very patriarchal, with the man being the authority figure

Question 12

What act was passed in 1819?

Answer 12

Made illegal for children under 9 to work in cotton mills

Question 13

When was children banned from working in textile mills?

Answer 13

1833

Question 14

what was the 1842 act?

Answer 14

Miners Act: children under 10 and women were banned from working in mines

Question 15

Act in 1810?

Answer 15

Children between 5-10 must attend school

Question 16

What did the growing speed of technological change mean?

Answer 16

Adults were frequently unable to pass knowledge and skills trusties for work. Meant compulsory education needed

Question 17

When was compulsory education enforced?

Answer 17

1870s

Question 18

Reasons for a more child centred society?

Answer 18

• Welfare state support for children
• Children’s legal rights
• Early years education and compulsory schooling
• Minister for Children and Children’s Commissionsr

Question 19

What does Lloyd De Mause state about CH?

Answer 19

That the history of CH is a nightmare form which we have only just recently begun to awaken. Further back we go the lower the level of CC and more likely children to be killed, abused etc

Question 20

What did Aries & Shorter believe about the improvement of CH?

Answer 20

• C are more valued, better cared for, educated etc
• C are protected from harm and exploitation by laws

Question 21

What is the march of progress view about the child centred family?

Answer 21

Higher living standards & smaller family sizes mean parents can afford to provide for C’s needs properly

Question 22

What is the conflict view on inequalities among C?

Answer 22

• C of diff nationalities experience diff CH
• 90% of worlds low BW are in developing countries

Question 23

What does the CV sociologists Hellman 1993 and Bonke 1999 say?

Answer 23

Hellman: boys are more likely to go out later
Bonke: girls are more likely to do DL especially in line parent families

Question 24

The conflict view on inequalities between children and adults

Answer 24

• Argue A use power for the benefit and protection of C
• Firestone (1979) and Holt (1974) at this care and protection are new forms of control

Question 25

What is the conflict view on age patriarchy?

Answer 25

• Gittins (1998) uses this to show A domination and C dependcy. Points out the term family referred to the power of the male over other family members
• Humphrey’s and Thiara (2002) say 1/4 of 200 W left their abusing partner because they feared for C’s lives

Question 26

What did Sue Palmer say about ‘Toxic CH’ 2006?

Answer 26

• Lack of attention and communication due to electronic devices
• ED stop children form growing mentally and causing delays
• Movement of TV into bedrooms is turning point as it’s unregulated and can access anything

Question 27

What is Neil Postman’s study of ‘The Disappearance of CH’?

Answer 27

• He looks at trends towards giving C the same rights as A, vowing similarity of C & A clothing
• Argued CH emerged with mass literacy, due to TV & internet it blurs separation and C can access the A world

Question 28

What does Postmodernist Jenks (2005) state about CH?

Answer 28

• Believes CH is changing
• Many relationships have become unstable due to rapid social change eg irc tes
• Thus generate feelings of insecurity and A become increasingly centred on their C for stability in life

Question 29

What does Smart (2011) say?

Answer 29

• 2001 study of divorce found that C were actively involved in trying to make situations better for everyone which enables Sociologists to explore diverse CH

Question 30

What does Mason & Tipper (2008) say?

Answer 30

Show C actively create their own definitions of who’s family