Childhood Flashcards
Childhood as a social construct
-It’s created and defined by society, differs between times, places and cultures. See this by comparing western ideas today w past & other ideas.
Picher
Most important feature of modern idea of childhood is SEPARATEDNESS.
-A clear & distinct life stage in society. ‘golden age’
Eg laws, dress, products
How is childhood constructed across cultures?
-childhood as a separate age-status isn’t universal. Different constructs.
Western: vulnerability, unable to fend for themselves
Other cultures: may not see a difference between children & adults (Wagg)
Benedict
Children in simpler, non-industrial society’s are generally treated differently from western societies in 3 ways…
1.Take more responsibility at an early age
2.Less Value placed on child obedience to adult authority
3.Children’s sexual behaviour often viewed differently
-Evidence childhoods socially constructed- differs between cultures
Malinowski (sexual behaviour)
-Islanders of south-west pacific, adults took an attitude of ‘tolerance & amused interest’ in children’s sexual exploration and activities.
Aries (historical differences)
-In the middle ages, idea of childhood didn’t exist. No different needs.
-Childhood as a separate age-status was short, soon after being weaned.
-‘mini adults’- same rights, duties, skills, punishments
Uses ART from the period as evidence. No differences except size.
How do historical attitudes compare to now?
-In middle ages, high death rates encouraged indifferent & neglect.
Eg wasn’t uncommon to give baby name of a deceased sibling, or call them ‘it’ or to forget how many they have.
Aries (Cult of childhood)
Modern notions of childhood emerged from the 13th century…
-Schools specialised for children. influence from church, increased view of them as fragile ‘creatures of god’ in need of discipline & protection
-Clothing changed, set them apart from adults
-18th century, handbooks on child rearing (inc child-centredness) esp mc
(Cult of childhood-obsessed w childhood, 20th century)
Pollock (Evaluation of Aries)
Pollock: Argues it’s more correct to say in the middle ages they just had a different notion of childhood
-However, Aries works been valuable- shows that childhood is socially constructed and their status has varied over time.
Reasons for change in the position of children
Changes during the 19&20th centuries…
-Laws restricting child/paid labour - econ asset to a liability for parents.
-Compulsory schooling- 1880, esp for ws, inc leaving age inc dependency
-Growth of children’s rights, Rights of the child, healthcare, protection for, abuse, right to participate in decisions that affect them eg custody
-Declin Family Size & lower MR: encourages great £ and emot investment
-Development became subject of medical knowledge: need supervision
-Laws/ policies for children: Sex, smoking ect. reinforced age-status
What’s a key factor for bringing the modern notion of childhood?
Industrialisation underlies many of these changes, modern industry requires an educated workforce- compulsory edu
-Higher standards of living, better welfare provision = lower MR
Postman
-childhoods ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed’ eg children having same rights, similar clothing, committing adult crimes eg murder ect.
-Lies in the rise of television culture and fall of print culture- mass literacy -Destroys the info hierarchy: adults in 19th cen could hide knowledge eg sex, money. Tv blurs the distinction, boundaries, ignorance now cynicism.
evaluation of postman
-Critics argue it’s not disappearing, based on a lifetime of research abt children’s unsupervised games, rhymes, songs ect .Strong evidence of a separate child culture over many years.
-Postman’s study valuable in showing how communication technology can influence the way childhoods constructed eg TV, print
-However, he over-emphasises a single cause-TV- at the expense of other factors
Jenks
-Doesn’t believe it’s disappearing but is changing. Agrees w Aries that it’s a creation of modern society.
Modernity: concerned w futurity, nurturing, protecting, child-centred
-But as we move into postmodernism, pace of change speeds up, relationships more unstable. eg divorce more common
-Therefore children become a parents identity & stability from uncertainty. So more protective, greater surveillance (still vulnerable)
Evaluation of Jenks
-Evidence for and against limited, some evidence that parents value their relationship w children more than partner &Parents are v concerned abt the risks their children face
❌Evidence from small, unrepresentative studies.
❌Jenks over-generalises, making sweeping statements implying all children are in the same position.
Aries & Shorter (march of progress view)
-children in western society are more valued, care for, protected, educated, healthy, more rights than previous generations.
1900:IMR=154/1,000
Today:4/1,000
Child-centred stats
1860: 5.7 births per W
2014:1.8 births per W
-By time a child’s 21, parents spent £227,000
-Children now focal point of family & society, invest emo & financilly.
Palmer
-Argues we’re experiencing ‘toxic childhood’
-Due to rapid tech & cultural changes in past 25yrs, that have damaged physical, emotional and intellectual development.
(Uk youth have above av obesity, self-harm, addictions, sex, teen preg)
Conflicts critique of march of prog view
-There’s inequalities among children- opportunities & risks they face, many remain unprotected & badly cared for
-Inequalities between children and adults are greater than ever- children experience greater control, oppression, dependency (not greater care)
Evidence of inequality between children
-90% worlds low-birth weight babies are born in developing countries
-Gender diff:- girls do more DL esp in LPF (5xmore)
-Ethnic diff:- Asian parents more likely stricter towards daughters
-Class diff: low-birth weight=delayed development, kids of unskilled manual workers 3x more likely hyperactive, more likely to die in childhood/illnesses, shorter, fall behind, child protection register.
Evidence of inequalities between children and adults
Inequalities of power. MoP argue it’s used to protect/benefit kids
-Firestone: they’re just new forms of oppression & control to forcibly segregate children, make them dependent/powerless
-See the need to free children-‘child liberationism ’
-An age patriarchy
Forms of adult control
-Neglect & abuse: 43,000 subject to child protection plans (2013)
-Control over space:increased surveillance, safety measures
1971:86% P sch kids got home alone. 2010: 25%
-Control over time: control daily routines, eat, sleep, grow up
-Control over bodies: sit, walk, run, what they wear, act, accessories ect
-Control of access to resources: limited opp to earn money, dependent
Sudanese children- contrasts western control
-space: rural Sudanese children roamed freely in the village & several KM outside it
-resources: Sud children involved in productive work by 3-4
Do children want to escape modern childhood? How?
-Concluded children want to escape the modern childhood status
Done by Acting-up: acting like adults eg smoking, swearing, alcohol ect
Or Acting-Down: behaving younger eg baby talk, wanting to be carried (Hockey & James)
Critiques of child liberationist view
-Some adult controls justified by their inability to make rational decisions
-Also although under adult supervision, critiques claim they’re not as powerless as liberationists claim. Eg Rights of Child- legal right to protect children
‘adultist’ view of children’
-An ‘adultist’ viewpoint, children mere socialisation projects for adults to mould/ develop and have no self interest.
New sociology approach
Sees children as active agents who play a major role in creating their own childhoods, not simply ‘adults in the making’
Smart (the child’s point of view)
-this approach aims to include the views & experiences of children as they live through childhood. (present tense)
-Study of divorce, children were far from passive objects but tried to help. Used methods like informal, unstructured interviews to empower the child to express their view point.
-It highlights that kids lack power (Favoured by Child Liberationists)
Do children create definitions of their family?
-Yes, actively create their own definitions of who is family, may include unrelated aunts, uncles ect who they regard ‘close’
