childhood Flashcards
histrical differences AO3 - pollock
Pollock - its more correct to say society had a different notion of childhood
e.g high death rates encouraged neglect
e.g kids named after dead sibling, ‘it’
uses secondary data dependent on artist for accuracy
paintings should little about emotional bonds
Aries - childhood gradually began to emerge 13th century onwards Ao1
schools - specialise purely in educating the young, influenced by church = kids are vulnerable
the distinction between adult and kids’ clothes
we have moved from a world that did not see childhood as special to being obsessed with it
reasons for the changes in the position of children (3)
laws restricting child labour: from being economic assets and earning a wage to being an economic liability and financially dependent
declining family size and lower infant mortality: encourages parents to make a greater financial and emotional investment in the fewer they have
laws that apply specifically to children: e.g minimum ages for smoking, sex = reinforces idea that they’re different from adults and require different rules
future of childhood - disappearance - POSTMAN Ao1
childhood is disappearing:
similarity of adults’ and kids clothing, kids committing ‘adult’ crimes
reason = rise and fall of print culture and its replacement by television culture
Middle Ages = most people were illiterate - speech only skill needed to enter the adult world - no division between adult and kids world
childhood became separate with the
printed world, it created an information hierarchy = division between adults and kids - gave adults the power to keep knowledge about sex, violence so these things remained a mystery to kids and they became associated with innocence
television blurs this distinction - boundaries between adults and kids are broken down and the ignorance and innocence of childhood are replaced with knowledge and cynicism
disappearance of childhood - postman - AO3 Opie
OPIE - based on research into kids games, rhymes, books there’s strong evidence for the continued existence of a separate children’s culture
disappearance of childhood - postman - AO3 overemphasises
overemphasises a single cause - television - and ignores other factrors that influence the development of childhood
JENKS - childhood is changing AO1
in postmodern society, the pace of change speeds up and relationships become more unstable (e.g with an increase in divorce)
this generates feelings of insecurity - relationships with their kids become more important
adults become more fearful for kids’ security = reinforcing the view that Kids are vulnerable and in need of protection
JENKS - childhood is changing AO3, over-generalising
jerks is guilty of over-generalising
sweeping statements that imply all children are in the same position
JENKS - childhood is changing AO3, issues with evidence
some evidence that parents see their relationship with their children as more important than with their partners
but
evidence comes from small, unrepresentative studies
has the position of childhood improved? - march of progress Ao1
steadily improving
ARIES & SHORTER. - today’s kids are more valued, better cared for and protected
higher living standards and
smaller family sizes = parents can afford to properly provide for kids needs
has the position of childhood improved? - march of progress AO2
by a kids 21st birthday parents have spent £227,000
march of progress view AO3, toxic childhood
toxic childhood - PALMER the ‘rapid technological and cultural changes ‘ in the past 25 years have damaged kids physical, emotional, intellectual development
concerns over health and behaviour - UK have above average rates for obesity, self-harm and drug abuse
has the position of childhood improved? - conflict view AO1
MOP is based on false and idealised image that ignores inequalities
inequalities among children - not all kids share the same status or experiences (e.g girls 5x more likely to do domestic labour than boys) - we can’t group all kids together
inequalities between kids and adults - things MOP see as protection are actually a form of oppression and control - e.g controls over kid time
controls over kid’s space, control over access to resources
adult control over kids: physical, emotional abuse
has the position of childhood improved? - conflict view AO3 - child liberationists
child liberationists say some adult control is justified because kids cannot make rational decisions
has the position of childhood improved? - conflict view AO3
children have more power than conflict view suggests
study of divorce found - children were actively involved in trying to make the situation better for everyone
age patriarchy
Gittins
inequalities between adults and children
age patriarchy of adult domination and child dependency
historical differences in childhood Ao1
childhood was short
soon after being weaned the child entered wider society on the same terms as adults
began work from an early age
Aries - ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’
historical differences in childhood AO2
Aries
he used art from the period - children appear without any of the characteristics of childhood - kids and adults in the same clothing, working and playing together
additional Ao3 - theres a danger in seeing children as passive objects who have no part in making their own childhoods
Mayall
risks seeing children from an ‘adultist’ point of view
may see children as socialisation projects for adults to mould
different view - ‘new sociology of childhood’ sees children as active agents
e.g. children are actively involved in divorce, trying to make the situation better for all.
childhood as a seperate stage AO1
Pilcher
an important feature of childhood is separateness - childhood is a clear and distinct life stage
emphaasised through differences in dress and products
childhood is seen as. a’golden age’ of innocence
= children are seen as vulnerbale and in need of protection = childrens lives are lived in the sphere of family and education
childhood as a seperate stage AO3
Wagg
the view of childhood as a separate stage is not found in all societies
childhood is socially constructed so different cultures construct and define this process differently
e.g once children in Bolivia are 5 they’re expected to take wor responsibilities
conclusion
‘new sociology of childhood’
see children as active agents who create their own childhood
need to understand how children define their childhood
children create their own definitions of who is family
