childhood

Question 1

arguments for childhood as a social construction

Answer 1

childhood is something created by society that varies from each society

wagg - there is no single universal experience of childhood as different societies define the physical process of aging equally

functionalists argue childhood is a biological fixed life stage everything goes through

Question 2

explanations for the social construction of childhood - the modern western notion of childhood (pilcher)

Answer 2

the most important feature of childhood is ‘separateness’ as children are physically and psychologically immature compared to adults e.g. the age of consent being 16, drinking age is 18, toys and food that cater to children

this makes childhood a golden age of happiness and innocence, but also means children are vulnerable to the dangers of the outside world so their lives are largely lived in the family and education where they are protected

this shows childhood is a social construct as this separateness is only applicable in the modern world

Question 3

explanations for the social construction of childhood - cross cultural differences (benedict)

Answer 3

childhood is simpler in non industrial societies and are treated differently from their western counterparts e.g. children aged less than 5 are expected to work in rural bolivia, the age of consent in nigeria is 11

this shows that childhood is a social construct as in non western cultures, there is less separateness between children and adults

Question 4

explanations for the social construction of childhood - historical differences (aries)

Answer 4

childhood did not exist in pre industrial societies as they were seen as mini adults and were expected to take on adult responsibilities e.g. cooking, cleaning, childcare, learning tapestry, could be held criminally responsible

the evidence for this argument comes from paintings where children were depicted the same size as adults and wearing the same clothes

children were not seen as vulnerable as high death rates encouraged neglect and no emotionally connection from their parents

this shows that childhood is a social construct as it changes depending on the time period

Question 5

explanations for the social construction of childhood - the modern cult of childhood (aries)

Answer 5

childhood gradually changed from the 13th century onward - schools began to specialise in the education of children, clothing became distinct for children and adults by the 17th century, parenting books in the 18th century shows growing child-centeredness, and the imr started to decrease in the 19th century so children were now seen as objects of love and devotion

this shows childhood is a social construct as once childhood wasn’t seen as special but now people are obsessed with childhood

Question 6

reasons for the changes in the position of childhood

Answer 6

child protection and welfare legislations - restriction on child labour, children now have rights in decisions regarding custody cases, every child matters policy, minimum age laws

compulsory education extends the period of dependency on parents, smaller family sizes encourages more financial and emotional investment by parents

Question 7

arguments for the western construction of childhood is becoming globalised

Answer 7

childhood has been globalised through international humanitarian e.g. unicef helps with child labour or street children which reflects western views of childhood

this shows that childhood is not disappearing but is spreading

Question 8

arguments against the western construction of childhood is becoming globalised (palmer)

Answer 8

childhood has become toxic due to rapid technological and cultural changes leaving them no longer vulnerable and protected e.g. junk food, frequent testing in education

the uk is near the top of the international league table for obesity, self harm, drug and alcohol abuse

this shows that childhood is actually under threat in the west

Question 9

the future of childhood - childhood is disappearing (postman)

Answer 9

childhood is disappearing at a dazzling rate - children have the same rights as adults, clothing for adults and children are similar, children commit adult crimes like murder

print culture (magazines) has been replaced by television culture - only adults could access print culture as they needed to read so adult content was inaccessible to children, but television doesn’t require special skills so adults and children can access it, leading to children being able to access the same things adult can

this shows that childhood is disappearing as children know more than they should and their innocence and ignorance has been replaced by knowledge and cynicism

Question 10

the future of childhood - ao3 for childhood is disappearing

Answer 10

there is still a separation between children and adults in television culture e.g. kidz bop, youtube kids

overemphasises the cause of childhood disappearing to be on television - there are other factors e.g. toxic childhood

Question 11

the future of childhood - childhood is changing (jenks)

Answer 11

in a modern society childhood continues to be separated from adult life and was seen as preparation for adult life through primary socialisation and education

however in a post modern society relationships can become unstable due to the more family diversity, meaning relationships with children have become a more important source of identity and act as a refuge for adults

as a result, adults fear for their child’s security and protect them from perceived dangers like child abuse, leading to greater surveillance and regulation of children e.g. controlling screentime and curfews

this shows childhood continues to be a separate status from adulthood

Question 12

the future of childhood - ao3 for childhood is changing

Answer 12

evidence used is limited and comes from small, unrepresentative studies

overgeneralises by assuming all children are in the same position

Question 13

the position of childhood has improved - march of progress view

Answer 13

the position of childhood has been improving and is better than ever in the west as they are more valued and cared for, better protected and educated e.g. safeguarding laws protect children from child abuse

the family has become more child centred as parents invest more financially and emotionally e.g. paying for private schools, child savings

Question 14

the position of childhood has improved - child centred families

Answer 14

families have become smaller meaning parents can afford their children’s needs properly

children are no longer seen and not heard but are now the focal point of the family as parents have high aspirations of their children and many media outlets and leisure activities are designed for children e.g. tv shows, soft play centres

Question 15

the position of childhood has not improved - toxic childhood (palmer)

Answer 15

childhood has become toxic to children’s physical, emotional, intellectual and social development e.g. poor diets have links to hyperactivity and obesity, ipad kids have shortened attention spans and can get aggressive if the ipad is taken, parents spend too much time at work and not enough time with their kids

the uk youth is near the top of international league tables for obesity, self harm, teenage pregnancies and violence which are not associated with children

Question 16

the position of childhood has not improved - conflict view

Answer 16

there are inequalities between children of different genders/ethnicity/class - boys are more likely to be allowed out in the dark unaccompanied, asian parents are more strict towards their daughters due to family honour, working class children are more at risk of low birth weight, illness, hyperactivity

child liberationists argue children are constantly controlled by adults - children can’t shut/lock their door, adults choose what room they stay in, they have a curfew and bedtime, control what their children wear and eat, use parental restrictions on technology

this shows that childhood has not improved as children are constantly being controlled

Question 17

the position of childhood has not improved - age patriarchy

Answer 17

there are inequalities between adults and children - a quarter of 200 women left their abusing partner because they feared for their children’s safety

children aim to resist adult’s domination by either acting up - acting like adults by smoking, drinking - or acting down - reverting to baby talk

this shows childhood has not improved as childhood is a status most want to escape from as they are overly controlled by adults

Question 18

the new sociology of childhood - mayall

Answer 18

the view that childhood is a social construct is at risk of being adultist - it ignores how children shape their own childhood

rather than children being adults in the making, they should be seen as active agents in creating their own childhood

Question 19

the new sociology of childhood - smart/mason and tipper

Answer 19

we should include children’s views and experience and focus on the present tense of childhood

children actively create family from people around them e.g. fictive kin

children are actively involved in making things better for family members e.g. during divorce, rather than being passive victims

Question 20

positives of considering the child’s point of view

Answer 20

helps sociologists explore the diverse and multiple childhoods that exist within one society

child liberationists favour this approach as it asserts children’s rights and shows they often lack power in comparison to adults