Childhood Flashcards
Who talks about childhood as a social construction?
Cunningham
Why is childhood a social construction?
Meaning behind childhood and status of children in society isn’t fixed but differs between different times, places and cultures
What proof is there for social construction?
- Gender role socialisation/child abuse
- Not a universal experience
How is gender role socialisation and child abuse proof of social construction?
Evidence that girls subjected to stricter social controls from parents, compared with boys when they reach adolescence
- Some childhood experience may be damaging - diff types of child abuse: neglect, sexual, physical and emotional abuse
- Up to 30,000 children on child protec register due to risk of abuse from family
How is ‘not a universal experience’ proof of social construction?
Less developed nations: extremely diff experience from industrialized
> constantly at risk of early death bc of poverty and lack of basic health care, clean water and sanitation, unlikely access to education and may take on jobs (adult roles)
How does the experience of childhood differ across religious groups in addition to ‘not a universal experience’?
Strong evidence that children in Muslim, Hindu and Sikh families generally feel a stronger sense of obligation and duty to their parents than white western children
- intergenerational conflict less likely/more likely to be hidden
What are the 3 characteristics of childhood?
- opposite of adulthood
- children seen to be in need of protection, right not to work and be dependent on adults - World of adult and world of child kept separate
- home and school regarded as ideal places for children, banned from adult spaces like workplaces - Children were seen to have the right to happinerss
Who talks about the modern western idea of children?
Pilcher
What does Pilcher say about the modern western idea of children?
Separateness argued to be most important figure of childhood
- distinct life stage and children in our society occur a separate status from adults
> Differences in dress, products and services
What is the golden age?
Idea of childhood as a golden age of happiness and innocence
- innocence means children are seen as vulnerable and in need of protection from the dangers of the adult world thus must be separated from it
Who talks about view of childhood as a separate age status not being found in all societies?
Wagg
What does Wagg argue?
Childhood socially constructed there’s not one single universal experience of childhood
- means while all humans go through the same physical process of ageing, diff societies construct/define this process diff
Who looked at historical differences in childhood?
Aries
What did Aries do?
Studied paintings, argued that in pre industrial society, children were little adults who take on adult responsibilities as young as 7/8
Further explain Aries findings
Children expected to help in productive activities in the household (households: unit of production than consumption)
- may be apprenticed out to learn a trade
- law: 7 or 8yr olds seen as being criminally responsible
> can be tried/punished on similar basis to adults
What was one reason for why children weren’t regarded as objects of love and devotion?
Very high level of infant mortality (IMR)
- life very ‘hand to mouth’ children had to work for family survival
- given adult responsibilities at a younger age
- remained well into 19th century, younger children employed to work in factories/mines
When did the view towards children start to change according to Aries?
IMR decreased with improvements to sanitation and diet
- increasing affluence of middle classes: attitudes of middle class parents change towards children (objects of love and devotion)
What did Aries note about the working classes despite the change?
Working classes tend to still view their children as little adults, as working class families tended to be dependent on children’s income for survival
Who looks at Responsibility in Samoa?
Holmes
What did Holmes find?
In Samoa - children seen as future of family, community and nation (divine blessing)
- families generally very protective in regard to their children
- children undergo work at a very young age bc seen as future
- work such as farming expected of children to ensure new generation educated and have responsibility for welfare of community
Who looked at sexual behaviour in the Trobriand islandas?
Malinowski
What are reasons for changes in position/status of children?
- Laws restricting child labour and excluding children paid work
- Process of industrialisation
What laws were put in place for children?
- Intro to compulsory schooling (1988)
- 1989 children act (1889 prevention of cruelty to children act)
- Children act (2004)
What did the intro to compulsory schooling (1988) consist of?
Raised school leaving age and recent government policies to keep children in full time education or training until the age of 18 had extended this period of dependency
What did the 1989 children act/ 1889 prevention act do?
Made child welfare a fundamental principle underpinning the work of agencies such as social services
- growth of the idea of children right
- children act defines parents as having ‘responsibilities’ rather than ‘rights’ in relation to children
Why was there laws of restricting child labor and excluding children from paid work?
Children became an economic liability by being financially dependent on their families rather than an economic asset
What did the children act (2004) do?
Produced the influential policy Every Child Matters
- focuses on the wellbeing of children and young people from birth to 19
- Stresses ‘better outcomes’ for children like: healthiness, staying safe, achieving economic wellbeing’
- Children now seen by state as individuals with rights
