childhood Flashcards
what does PILCHER say the most important feature of the modern idea of childhood is
separateness - childhood is seen as a clear distinct stage
how is the separateness of childhood emphasised
through laws regulating what children are allowed to do, differences in dress, products and services (toys, food)
childhood is a ‘____ age’
golden
what does children’s innocence mean they are viewed as
vulnerable and in need of protection from the dangers of the adult world.
where are children’s lives largely lived?
in the sphere of the family, education
what 3 ways does BENEDICT say children in non-industrial societies are treated differently than modern? AO2 too
1.) they take responsibility at an early age - example, PUNCH’S study into children in Bolivia = once children are 5 they’re expected to work
2.) less value is placed on children showing obedience to adult authority
3.) children’s sexual behaviour is viewed differently - example = Trobriand islands - adults took an attitude of ‘tolerance and amused interest’ towards children’s sexual explorations
what does BENEDICT say about non-industrial cultures and their attitudes on childhood
less of a dividing line
what does BENEDICT say about childhood
its socially constructed
not a fixed thing found universally
examples of how western notions of childhood have been globalised
campaigns against child labour
what did Aries say about childhood in the Middle Ages
‘the idea of childhood did not exist’
childhood in the Middle Ages
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 evidence to support childhood being short in the Middle Ages
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
AO3 criticism from Aries - (there was no childhood in the Middle Ages)
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, how?
schools - specialise purely in educating the young, influenced by church = kids are vulnerable
distinction between adult and kids clothes
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
