Childhood

Question 1

Childhood as a social construct

Answer 1

-It’s created and defined by society, differs between times, places and cultures. See this by comparing western ideas today w past & other ideas.

Question 2

Picher

Answer 2

Most important feature of modern idea of childhood is SEPARATEDNESS.
-A clear & distinct life stage in society. ‘golden age’
Eg laws, dress, products

Question 3

How is childhood constructed across cultures?

Answer 3

-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)

Question 4

Benedict

Answer 4

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

Question 5

Malinowski (sexual behaviour)

Answer 5

-Islanders of south-west pacific, adults took an attitude of ‘tolerance & amused interest’ in children’s sexual exploration and activities.

Question 6

Aries (historical differences)

Answer 6

-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.

Question 7

How do historical attitudes compare to now?

Answer 7

-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.

Question 8

Aries (Cult of childhood)

Answer 8

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)

Question 9

Pollock (Evaluation of Aries)

Answer 9

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.

Question 10

Reasons for change in the position of children

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What’s a key factor for bringing the modern notion of childhood?

Answer 11

Industrialisation underlies many of these changes, modern industry requires an educated workforce- compulsory edu
-Higher standards of living, better welfare provision = lower MR

Question 12

Postman

Answer 12

-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.

Question 13

evaluation of postman

Answer 13

-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

Question 14

Jenks

Answer 14

-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)

Question 15

Evaluation of Jenks

Answer 15

-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.

Question 16

Aries & Shorter (march of progress view)

Answer 16

-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

Question 17

Child-centred stats

Answer 17

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.

Question 18

Palmer

Answer 18

-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)

Question 19

Conflicts critique of march of prog view

Answer 19

-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)

Question 20

Evidence of inequality between children

Answer 20

-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.

Question 21

Evidence of inequalities between children and adults

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Forms of adult control

Answer 22

-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

Question 23

Sudanese children- contrasts western control

Answer 23

-space: rural Sudanese children roamed freely in the village & several KM outside it
-resources: Sud children involved in productive work by 3-4

Question 24

Do children want to escape modern childhood? How?

Answer 24

-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)

Question 25

Critiques of child liberationist view

Answer 25

-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

Question 26

‘adultist’ view of children’

Answer 26

-An ‘adultist’ viewpoint, children mere socialisation projects for adults to mould/ develop and have no self interest.

Question 27

New sociology approach

Answer 27

Sees children as active agents who play a major role in creating their own childhoods, not simply ‘adults in the making’

Question 28

Smart (the child’s point of view)

Answer 28

-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)

Question 29

Do children create definitions of their family?

Answer 29

-Yes, actively create their own definitions of who is family, may include unrelated aunts, uncles ect who they regard ‘close’