Childhood

Question 1

Modern western notion of childhood

Answer 1

• Pilcher: Childhood is a distinct life stage.

- Wagg: Childhood is socially constructed because there is no universal childhood experienced by all

Question 2

Cross-cultural differences in childhood

Answer 2

• Punch: In rural Bolivia (they take responsibility early)
• Firth: among Tikopia of the western. (Less value placed on adult authority)
• Malinowski: Islanders of the South West pacific (Sexual behaviour viewed differently)

Question 3

Globalisation of western childhood

Answer 3

• Western notions of childhood are being globalised through international humanitarian and welfare agencies have exported and imposed on the rest of the world.

Question 4

Childhood (Summary)

Answer 4

1. Modern western notion of childhood
2. Cross-cultural differences in childhood
3. Globalisation
4. Historical Differences
5. Modernisation
6. Disappearance of Childhood
7. Childhood in post modernity.
8. Has Childhood improved

Question 5

Historical differences in childhood

Answer 5

• Aries: ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’ in the middle ages.
• Children: same rights, duties and skills as adults (law made no distinction)
• Shorter: high death rate led to neglect
• Postman: most children were illiterate
• Polock: Different

Question 6

Modernisation

Answer 6

• Aries: Century of the child
• Laws restricting child labour: (assets to liability)
• Child protection (1889 Cruelty to Children Act, 1989 Children Act)
• Children’s rights: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Declining family size and IMR
• Laws applying specifically to children

Question 7

Disappearance of childhood

Answer 7

• Postman: childhood disappearing at a dazzling speed
• Fall in print culture and rise in television culture
• Information hierarchy: was present during print
• Destroyed with tv
• Opie: Childhood is not disappearing. Continued existence of a separate children’s culture

Question 8

Childhood in post modernity

Answer 8

• Jenks: Childhood is changing
• Childhood was about preparing child for future
• Due to instability in relationships: childhood becomes a source of adult’s identity.

Question 9

Has the position of childhood improved?

Answer 9

1. MOP: De Mause, Aries and Shorter (IMR, Child Centred)
2. Toxic Childhood: Palmer (Technological and cultural changes have resulted in emotional, physical and intellectual damage)
3. Conflict gender: Hillman, Bonke, Brannen
4. Conflict class: poor mothers more likely to have low-birth-weight babies (delayed physical and intellectual development)
   - Children of unskilled manual workers 3x more likely to suffer from hyperactivity.
   - Children born into poor families more likely to die in infancy.
5. Age patriarchy: Gittins (Childline, Cunningham: ‘home habitat’ of 8 year olds has shrunk to 1/9 of what it was 25 years ago)
6. New Sociology of Childhood: Mayall, Smart