Childhood Flashcards
What does it mean when we say ‘childhood is a social construct’?
- Defined and created by society
- What is seen as childhood varies between societies, within societies and historically and so what children do in society and the position they hold aren’t fixed.
Childhood as a social construct: childhood in the West
- Childhood is seen as a special and innocent time of life, ‘golden age’
- Children are seen as fundamentally different from adults, they are physically immature and not yet competent to run their own lives.
- This means that they need a lengthy, protected period of nurturing and socialisation.
Pilcher/Cunningham views on childhood in the West
Pilcher: A key feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness, children occupy a separate status from adults, for example there are laws on what children can/can’t do and separate products like toys for them.
Cunningham: Children are seen as the opposite of adults, they have the right to happiness.
Childhood as a social construct: Benedict, cross-cultural differences.
- Children in simpler, non-industrial societies are treated differently from their modern, Western counterparts, they aren’t so separate to adults.
1) They take on more responsibility at home and work. Punch’s study in Bolivia found that once the child is 5, they are expected to take on work in the home/community
2) Less value is placed on children’s obedience to adult authority. Firth found that among Tikopia children doing as they’re told is granted by them, not a right the adult should expect.
3) Children’s sexual behaviour is viewed differently. Malinowski found that among Trobrian Islanders, adults have an attitude of tolerance and amused interest towards children’s sexual exploration and activities.
How has the Western notion of childhood become globalised?
The views of how modern childhood should be- separate, innocent, based in nuclear family and school, is being imposed on other countries.
What is an example of Western childhood globalising?
There have been campaigns against child labour/’ street children’ in developing countries. This reflects Western notions of childhood, but opposes the cultural norms for those areas.
How else is childhood a social construct?
As well as differing over societies, it differs over time as well.
How does Aries describe the history of childhood?
In Medieval Europe, the idea of childhood didn’t exist.
- children were seen as ‘mini adults’, having the same responsibilities, rights and duties. They could face the same severe punishments as adults.
- work began at a young age.
What does Shorter say about the history of childhood?
High death rates encouraged indifference and neglect, especially towards infants. People would name babies after their dead siblings and call the baby ‘it’.
How does Aries describe the modern notion of childhood?
Emerged in the 13th century
- The church began to see children as fragile ‘creatures of God’ who needed discipline and protection from worldly evil
- Schools began to specialise only in the education of the young
- A growing distinction between child and adult clothing, setting them apart from each other.
This resulted in a modern ‘cult of childhood’ as we moved from a world that didn’t see childhood as special, to the obsession of childhood. The 20th century became known as ‘the century of the child’.
What are the reasons for the changes in the position of childhood?
1) Lower infant mortality rates and smaller families, parents invest more financially and emotionally in the children they have.
2) Specialist knowledge about children’s health, theories about child development stressed that they need protection/supervision.
3) Laws banning child labour, 1840’s on children go from economic assets to economic liabilities that rely on their parents.
4) Compulsory schooling, means children become dependent on the family.
5) Child protection and welfare laws, emphasised their vulnerability and made their welfare a concern.
6) Idea of children’s rights, Children Act 1989 saw parents having ‘responsibilities’ to their children rather than ‘rights’
7) Laws about social behaviour, minimum ages for sex and smoking reinforced the idea that children are different from adults.
What is the UNDERLYING cause of the changes in position of children?
Industrialisation
- modern industry requires an educated workforce, so compulsory education is needed rather than children working from young ages.
Why does Postman argue childhood is disappearing?
Childhood is disappearing at a ‘dazzling speed’ as they are becoming more like adults in the sense that:
- same rights as adults
- disappearance of children’s traditional unsupervised games
- similarity between adult and child clothing
- children committing similar crimes such as murder.
What is Postman’s reason for the disappearance of childhood?
-Television culture is replacing print culture.
- Print culture meant children lacked literacy skills to access information, so adults could keep knowledge about adult matters like sex and death a secret from them. This created an informational hierarchy as there was a clear distinction between childhood and adulthood.
- However, television culture has emerged and as a TV doesn’t require special skills to access it, children can access adult material. As a result this has weakened the boundaries between children and adults, as both adult authority and childhood innocence are diminished.
What view does Opie take towards the future of childhood?
Opie argues childhood is not disappearing as he regards childhood as having a continued separate culture. This can be seen through children continuing to have unsupervised games such as songs and rhymes.
Evaluate Postman’s view further
He has overemphasised TV as a single cause in causing the disappearance of childhood, thus he can be seen as reductionist. Other factors have actually influenced the development of childhood such as legal changes that divide children and adults.
