Childhood

Question 1

What is the Western view of childhood?

Answer 1

• Childhood is special
• Children are fundamentally different to adults
• Childhood is a a’golden age’ of innocence making them vulnerable and in need of protection
• Pilcher (1995) named a sense of ‘separateness’ where childhood is an entirely separate lane change.

Question 2

What are the cross-cultural differences in childhood?

Answer 2

• Benedict (1934) - children in simpler non-industrial societies are treated differently.
• Less value is placed on obedience/authority.
• Children are allowed to participate in paid work
• Holmes (1974) ‘Too young’ isn’t a reason to not complete a task. Tasks are performed based on ability and skill rather than age.

Question 3

What are the historical differences in childhood?

Answer 3

• Middle Ages: childhood didn’t exist, once infants were no longer physically dependent nothing else distinguished them from adults - they were just smaller.
• -> Aries: Looked at art and found that children were portrayed in the same clothes as adults, working and playing together.
• Children began work early and were a financial asset tot the family.
• High death rates meant childhood was less sacred, parents often gave children the same names as their dead siblings or forgot how many children they had.

Question 4

What are the changes in childhood after the 13th century?

Answer 4

• Clothing - a growing distinction between adults, however, this is recently starting to change,
• Handbooks on child rearing –> a sign of growing ‘child centeredness’

Question 5

What are the reasons for the changing position of children?

Answer 5

• Laws restricting child labour
• Compulsory education as of 1880
• Child protection and welfare as of 1944
• Industrialisation - required skilled workers which
  distinguished adults from children also required children to go to school to get said skills.
• Declining family size
• Lower infant mortality rates
• Children’s development became a subject of medical knowledge
• Laws and policies that apply specifically to children regarding, sex, smoking gambling and drinking.
• Growth of children’s rights - entitled to healthcare, protection from harm, education ect…

Question 6

Is childhood disappearing?

Answer 6

Neil Postman (1994)
- The emergence of mass literacy created an 'information hierarchy', this, in turn, created a clear division between adults who could read and children, who could not. --> Adults had the ability to withhold knowledge about sex, money, violence, death and other 'adult' matters. 

Yes I—> However, television blurs this distinction by destroying the information hierarchy.

Christopher Jenks (2005) 
- No --> In a postmodern world where there is more uncertainty (divorce) - relationships with children become more important and define someone's identity when they are no longer a husband/wife. This means that parents are even more protective of their children from perceived dangers

Sue Palmer (2006)
- Yes --> Rapid technological and cultural changes in the past 25 years have made childhood toxic, damaging children's physical, emotional and intellectual development. 

Unicef (2007)

• Yes –> UK is ranked 21st out 25 countries for child wellbeing.
• UK youths are near the top of the international league tables for; obesity, self-harm, drug/alcohol abuse, early sexual experiences and teenage pregnancies.