Childhood Flashcards
Childhood as a social construct
Wagg 1992 views childhood as no single universal childhood and that it’s not natural, meaning people define this process differently.
Childhood separateness
Plicher (1995) the modern idea of childhood is childhood separates, as it’s seen as a distinct life stage separate from adults.
This is emphasized through certain laws, a particular way of dressing, products, and services, especially for children.
Golden age of happiness and innocence
cross-cultural differences in childhood.
Benedict (1934) argues that children are generally traditionally treated differently in 3 ways:
- take responsibility at an early age, for example, punch’s (2001) study of childhood in Bolivia, found that when children were 5 years old they were expected to take work responsibilities in the home, without hesitation.
-Less value is placed on children showing obedience to adult authority.
- Children’s sexual behavior is often viewed differently.
Historical differences in childhood. ‘ Mini Adults ‘
Aries (1960) argues that in the middle ages ‘ the idea of childhood did not exist’, soon after being weaned child entered wider society on the same terms as an adult.
Parental attitudes : Shorter
Shorter (1975) argues that high death rates encouraged indifference and neglect, especially towards infants, for example, ‘ it ‘ would be the name of a dead infant
What is the basic idea of childhood in western society?
It’s a special time of life and children are fundamentally different from adults. They are physically and psychologically immature, and not yet competent to run their own lives. The belief is that they lack skills, knowledge and experience so they need a lengthy, protected period of nurturing and socialization before they are ready for adult society and its responsibilities
Reasons for changes in the position of children.
- Laws restricting child labor, children became an economic liability and financially dependent on their parents.
- Compulsory schooling in 1880, raising school-leaving age
- Declining family size and lower infant mortality rates
- 1889 Prevention of cruelty to children act & 1989 Children Act
- Policies that apply specifically to children such as minimum ages for a wide range of activities.
Disappearance of Childhood
Postman (1994) argues childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed, due to unsupervised games, the growing similarity of adults’ and children’s clothing, and children committing adult crimes such as murder.
Television Culture
Postman’s view as the first cause of the disappearance of childhood, as it doesn’t require special skills to access it & adult authority is diminished
Childhood in postmodernity
Jenks (2005) believes childhood is changing as relationships become more unstable & divorce is common this generates a feeling of insecurity, and relationships with their children are more important as a source of adult identity and stability. Resulting in greater surveillance and regulation of children’s lives.
However, Jenks is guilty of over-generalising
March of Progress view
The position of children is steadily improving. De Mause (1974) argues that the lower the level of childcare, the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten, terrorized & sexually abused
Child-Centered family
Children are no longer to be ‘seen and not heard’ but are the focal point of the family, they are consulted on many decisions and parents invest in their children both and emotionally ad financially. Higher living standards and smaller family sizes.
Toxic childhood
Palmer (2007) argues that rapid technological and cultural changes in the past 25 years have damaged children’s physical, emotional, and intellectual development, which range from junk food to computer games and intensive marketing.
Inequalities among children
Hillman (1993) boys are more likely to be allowed to cross or cycle on roads or go unaccompanied at night. Bonke (1999) found that girls do more domestic labour, especially in lone-parent families, where they do more housework than boys.
ethnic differences in children
Brannen’s 1994 study of 15-16-year-olds found that Asian parents were more likely than other parents to be strict towards their children.
Control over children’s spaces
Children’s movement in industrial societies, for example some shops may show ‘ no school chidlren’ Cunningham (2007) the ‘home habitat’ of 8 year olds has shrunk to one-ninth of the size was 25 years earlier.
Inequalities between adults and children
Adults take control in these different forms:
- neglect and abuse
- controls over children’s space
- controls over children’s time
- controls over children’s access to resources
Age Patriarchy : inequalities between adults and children
Gittins (1998) views that patriarchy oppresses children as well as women as the term ‘ family’ is associated with the power of the male head over every other member of the family.
Humphreys and Thiara (2002) found that a quarter of the 200 women in their study left their abusing partner because they feared for their children’s lives, which supports this view
Acting up & down : Age Patriarchy
They conclude that modern childhood is a status from which most children want to escape
Hockney & James: acting like adults by doing things that children aren’t supposed to do, such as swearing, drinking, smoking, etc
Acting down: behaving in ways expected of younger children which is a way of resisting adult control
However, critics argue that some adult control over children’s lives is justified because children can’t make rational decisions yet.
new sociology of childhood
argues that we must take the perspective of the child
