childhood Flashcards
JANE PILCHER
childhood as a social construct
- Jane Pilcher argues that childhood is a clear and distinct life stage / separated from adulthood
- children have separate lives to adults
- in western culture children are defined as vulnerable and in need of care
the differences between childhood and adulthood
LA iWS - regulating what children are allowed to do or not to do
DRESS - particularly for younger children
PRODUCTS/SERVICES - toys, entertainment, food, books etc
AGE OF INNOCENCE - vulnerable, need protection
ACTIVITIES - unlike adults, children’s lives consist of leisure and play and are likely to be largely excluded from work
GENERAL SOCIOLOGISTS
childhood as a social construct
- sociologists argue that childhood is socially constructed and not biologically determined
- childhood is seen as being created and defined by society
- reinforced by social attitudes, norms and traditions of a particular culture
evidence to show that childhood is socially constructed…
- differences in childhood between cultures
- changes in the history of treatment of children throughout history
- the way children experience childhood differently within some culture
cross-cultural differences in childhood
RUTH BENEDICT (1934)
argues children in simpler, non industrialised societies are treated differently
- take on responsabilities at an early age (Bolivia)
- less value placed on children obeying authority (Tikopia, Pacific Islands)
- children’s sexual behaviour is viewed differently (e.g Trobriand Islands, Papua, New Guinea)
research into other countries
SAMANTHA PUNCH
LOWELL HOLMES
SAMANTHA PUNCH - children caged in rural Bolivia are expected to take on responsibilities in the home and community
LOWELL HOLMES - research of childhood in a Samoan village found that a child was never considered ‘too young’ to do a particular task
childhood statistics
INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANISATION
- 1 in 7 children in the world work
- 168 million children were involved in child labour in 2012
childhood statistics
CHILD SOLDIERS INTERNATIONAL
suggests between 2007 and 2017, 300,000 children were involved in active conflict in more than 30 countries worldwide
historical changes in childhood
PHILLIPE ARIES (10th to 13th century)
- PHILLIPE ARIES argues that in the middle ages the ‘idea of childhood did not exist’ after the period of weakening
- no separate stage in life
- children did not have different ‘nature’ or needs from adults
- the same just smaller - mini adults and lived on the same terms as adults:
- same rights, duties
and skills
- same laws
- same clothing
18th to 19th century industrialisation
PHILLIPE ARIES
- PHILLIPE ARIES argues that childhood is a relatively new invention and linked to industrialisation
- work moved outside family agriculture and towards factories
- the need for a numerate and literate workforce lead to compulsory education
- restrictions on child labour put in place
- children now had a separate status
- children became dependent upon adults and a new phase of life called ‘childhood’ emerged
what where some 18th to 20th century laws to protect children?
- laws restricting child labour
- 1870 compulsory elementary schooling
- children act was the right to healthcare and an education
- child specialists such as paediatricians
- child protection like the children’s act (1989)
- children’s rights such as the UN convention rights of the child (1989)
PHILLIPE ARIES
past treatment of children
in the past, children were not treated as special because:
- high infant mortality rate
- life was hard
- children were an economic asset and had to work to help family survive, therefore given adult responsibilities at a young age
social class differences in childhood
- about 25% of all children in the uk live in poverty
- poor children have ill-health and dont achieve as well in education
- may be forced to take part time work to help pay for activities, clothes etc
- rich parents can afford to pay for activities, educational opportunities that could enhance a childs personal and social experiences
gender based differences in childhood
- girls are more strictly controlled than boys
- girls are expected to help around the house more than boys
ethnicity based differences in childhood
different cultures may have different expectations on children and their behaviour
what does NEIL POSTMAN (1994) argue about childhood?
- argues childhood is ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed’
- children are exposes to adult experiences much earlier
- POSTMAN says the decline of the print culture and the rise of tv culture has contributed to this
- in the past children didn’t have access to ‘adult matters’ such as sex, money, violence, illness and death until they could read
- tv has broken down boundary between adulthood and childhood because there are no special skills required to access tv
- internet and globalised mass media has intensified this process
what does IONA OPPIE (1993) argue about childhood?
- criticises postman’s view
- argues childhood is not disappearing
- research into children’s games, rhymes and songs suggests that there is a strong evidence of a separate children’s culture
- she thinks postman over-emphasises the influence of tv
what does SUE PALMER argue about childhood?
- says children today are experiencing a toxic childhood
- claims rapid technological and cultural changes in the past 25 years have damaged children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development
- junk food, computer games, intensive marketing towards children, long hours worked by parents, growing emphasis on testing in education
- uk youth are at risk of obesity, self harm, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, early sexual experiences, teenage pregnancies and mental health issues
what does CHRISTOPHER JENKS (2005) argue about childhood?
- postmodern view suggests childhood is changing with society, and is actually becoming more important to the family
- argues as relationships with parents become more unstable, adults see their children as a rare source of stability in postmodern society
- parents want to protect their children even more from the insecurity and instability they themselves may feel
- this is reflected in age restriction laws which continue to give children a separate status
what is THE MARCH OF PROGRESS view of childhood?
- suggest children’s lives has improved in many ways over the last 100+ years
- children are more valued, better cared for, protected and educated
- children enjoy better health and have more rights than previous generations
- family/society has become more child-centred
