Childhood Flashcards
1
Q
What is the modern western notion of childhood?
A
- Children are accepted to be different from adults as they are vulnerable and need to be protected and nurtured
2
Q
What did Pilcher argue?
A
- He argues separateness which is that childhood is a clear and distinct life stage where children occupy a different status from adults
- Children are physically and psychologically weaker than adults
- Childhood is a golden age of happiness and innocence which needs to be protected
- Children are therefore the sphere of the family where adults provide and protect them
3
Q
What is evidence to prove separateness?
A
- Laws regulating what children are allowed to do
- Different products, services and clothes for children
4
Q
What do James and Prout argue?
A
- They argue the dominant framework that children are simple and amoral as they only focus on their own needs
- Adults are complex and have the ability to make their own decisions
- Childhood is the primitive stage of development and seen in terms of what they will become later
- They lack the key attributes of being a person
5
Q
Is childhood universal?
A
- Wagg argues childhood is socially constructed and therefore not universal
- Different cultures construct and define the process of childhood differently
- The position of children is not fixed and can change through and within history and culture
6
Q
What is cultural relativity?
A
- Experiences of childhood will differ between cultures and within cultures
7
Q
What did Benedict argue?
A
- Children in non-industrial societies are treated differently as they =
1. Take on responsibility at an early age
2. Less value is placed on children being obedient to adults
3. Children’s sexual behaviour is viewed differently
8
Q
What is the globalisation of western childhood?
A
- The western ideas of childhood has become globalised. Agencies impose western norms of what childhood should be.
- This should be a separate life stage for children as they are innocent and have no economic role
9
Q
What is historical relativity?
A
- Aries believes that experiences of childhood will differ over time
- Childhood did not exist in the 10th-13th century as there was no separate items and they were economic assets
- This continued into the 17th century as they were economic assets and had little difference in culture
- Now, childhood is a special and unique time in life shaped by their innocence, dependence and culture
10
Q
What is the modern cult of childhood?
A
- Aries argued that modern notions of childhood emerged in the 13th century
as schools were specialised for the young as the church saw children as fragile creatures of god - In the 17th century, there was a growing distinction between clothing
- In the 18th century, there was pressure to become a good parent at child rearing with handbooks
- These developments has led to a child centred society which is a modern cult of childhood
11
Q
What is supporting evidence for historical relativity?
A
- In the 19th century, children were treated with indifference due to the high mortality rate
- Historians agree with Aries view of childhood in pre-industrial era
- It provides evidence for how childhood is socially constructed
12
Q
What is criticising evidence for historical relativity?
A
- He used methodology using paintings
- Findings are class specific
- Pollock argues childhood did exist but it was just different
13
Q
Why have these changed to childhood occurred?
A
- Laws restricting child labour
- Compulsory schooling in 1880
- Child protection legislation
- Children’s rights
- Declining family size
- Medical knowledge
- Laws and policies for children
14
Q
Is social construction of childhood applicable to all stages of childhood?
A
- No as toddlers need to be dependent therefore cannot be socially constructed
- However it is more possible as children get older and they can become self reliant
15
Q
What do the March of Progress believe about whether childhood has improved?
A
- Argues that the position of children has been steadily improving and is better than it has ever been
16
Q
How do March of Progress believe childhood has improved?
A
- Legal improvements which place work restrictions and laws banning child labour. Also compulsory education
- Rights of children are central to society
- There are new welfare services for children such as the NHS and social services
- There is a move to child-centred families meaning they have the best interests for the child
17
Q
What do the March of Progress argue about a child centred family?
A
- Parents invest a lot of time, emotion and money in their children
- They also provide greater care and protection, this means parents have high aspirations for their children wanting them to succeed
- Higher living standards and smaller family sizes makes this possible
- Children are the focal point of their family
18
Q
What does Palmer argue against the March of Progress view?
A
- Palmer argues that children are experiencing a toxic childhood which is damaging children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development
- Changes in society such as technological and cultural changes has led to this
- Examples of changes are =
1. Junk food
2. Computer games
3. Long working hours
4. Testing in education - This leads to higher rates of mental illnesses, self-harm, drug abuse, violence, obesity and early sexual experiences
19
Q
What do the conflict view believed about childhood?
A
- Society is based on conflict and inequality between children, and adults.
- Children face different opportunities meaning some children remain unprotected and badly cared for
- Children and adults face inequalities between each other which leads to greater control, dependency and oppression
20
Q
What is the gender inequality between children?
A
- Hilman found that boys are given more freedom than girls such as being unaccompanied
- Bonke found that girls do 5x more domestic labour
21
Q
What is the ethnic inequality between children?
A
- Brannen conducted a study of teenagers who argued that Asian parents were more likely to be strict towards their daughters
- Bhatti found that family honour was a restriction on girl’s behaviour
22
Q
What is the class inequality between children?
A
- Woodroffe found that children of unskilled manual workers are more likely to suffer from conduct disorders such as hyperactivity
- Howard found that children born into poor families are more likely to die in infancy or suffer longstanding illnesses
23
Q
What does the March of Progress view argue about inequalities between adults and children?
A
- They argue that power differences benefits children as adults are able to use their power to benefit and protect children such as laws against child labour
24
Q
What does the conflict view argue about inequalities between adults and children?
A
- Holt argues that many things that are seen as care and protection is new forms of oppression and control
- Firestone believes that protection from paid work is not a benefit but a way to forcibly separate children and make them dependent and powerless meaning they can be subject to adult control
25
Q
What does Gittins argue?
A
- Argues that age patriarchy describes the inequalities between adults and children
- Age patriarchy is adult domination and child dependency
- Humphrey and Thiara found that many women left their abusive husbands as they feared for their children which is evidence that patriarchy oppresses children too.
26
Q
What did Hockney and James argue?
A
- Found evidence that children see childhood as oppressive and wanting to escape and be independent
- This can be seen in acting up and acting down
Acting up = Doing adult behaviour such as smoking and drinking
Acting Down = Acting similar to a younger child to resist adult control
27
Q
What can adult control result in?
A
- Adult control can result in abuse which can be physical, psychological, neglect, emotional and sexual abuse
28
Q
What are the types of control adults have over children?
A
- Resources
- Body
- Space
- Time
29
Q
What has the improvements in childhood resulted in?
A
- Resulted in helicopter parenting which are parents removing any obstacles and therefore solving their problems
- This results in children who are not resilient
30
Q
What is an evaluation of the control of parents over children?
A
- Adult control is justified as children cannot make rational decisions and therefore protect themselves
- Children as not powerless as they have UN rights of the child
31
Q
What is the new sociology of childhood?
A
- Mayall argues that both views see children from an adultist viewpoint and that they are socialisation projects for adults to mould and shape
- The new sociology sees children as active agents who play a major role in creating their own childhood.
- We must understand childhood from the POV of the child as each child will have different experiences
32
Q
What does Postman argue about the future of childhood?
A
- Believed childhood to be disappearing at a dazzling speed due to increased rights, children committing adult crimes, blurred lines of cultures and declining parental authority
- This is due to an information hierarchy
33
Q
What is an information hierarchy?
A
- Postman argued childhood emerged in the 19th century due to literacy becoming available
- The printed word creates an information hierarchy as adults can read
- Adults have the power to keep knowledge which is taken away from children which became secretive therefore associating childhood with innocence
- However, TV is able to blur the distinction of the information hierarchy as children are able to watch TV
- This leads to a television culture where children are exposed to the same information which leads to innocence being replaced by knowledge
34
Q
What does Opie argue?
A
- Opie argues childhood is not disappearing due to separate children’s culture of programmes and songs
35
Q
What does Postman overexaggerate?
A
- He over emphasises the influence of TV and ignores other factors which develop childhood
36
Q
What does Jenks argue about the future of childhood?
A
- Jenks does not believe that childhood is disappearing but believes it is changing due to a postmodern society
- In modern society, people are concerned with the future of children and are controlled by the child-centred family. Family relationships were stable
- In a postmodern society, family life is unstable and parents need children for the insecurity they face
- Parents are over-protective of their children as their relationship is stable
- This reinforces the idea of children needed protection and surveillance
37
Q
What is an evaluation of Jenks?
A
- Parents see their relationships with children as more important than parents
- Parents are concerned about the risks their children face however this is small and unrepresentative
- Jenks over generalises as he believes that children are in the same position
38
Q
What does Palmer predict about toxic childhood?
A
- Palmer argues that every year children become more distractible and impulsive therefore less able to learn and enjoy life
- Young people are impacted in multiple ways by excessive screen time
39
Q
What is an evaluation of toxic childhood?
A
- Palmers study is ethnocentric
- Toxic childhood is not a new phenomena
- More information available has also led to paranoid parenting
39
Q
What is evidence supporting childhood becoming more universal?
A
- Western notion of childhood is spreading around the world, this can be seen in:
1. Universal rights of the child
2. Campaigns for universal education
3. Charities focus on preventing child labour
4. Globalised TV and media
40
Q
What is a problem of childhood becoming universal?
A
- This may lead to cultural imperialism which imposes a culture over a less powerful society, this may be the dominant politically powerful nation
41
Q
What does Smart argue?
A
- Believed that this approach seeks to include the views of the child using unstructured interviews to empower the child to express their thoughts
- Children often lack power in relation to adults so it is favoured by child liberationists
42
Q
What does Mason and Tipper argue?
A
- Children actively create their own definitions of family which may include people who are not proper family members
43
Q
What does Smart et al argue?
A
- Children were actively trying to make the situation of divorce better for everyone
