Childhood Flashcards
how does Pilcher define childhood
‘separateness’- clear distinct life stage which occupies a separate status from adults
how might other people describe childhood in relation to Pilcher
the idea that childhood is a ‘golden age ‘ of happiness and innocence
how does Wagg describe childhood
childhood is socially constructed. There is no single universal childhood. it differs between societies, times and places
what does Punch state about cross- cultural differences in Childhood
children as young as 5 in rural areas take work responsibilities
what did Firth argue about cross-cultural differences in childhood
firth argues less value is placed in other cultures on children showing obedience to adults due to the findings found in the western pacific
what did Malinowski argue about cross- cultural differences in childhood
sexual behaviour is viewed differently in some cultures.
what did Aries find about historical differences in childhood
- 10th-13th century ‘childhood’ did not exists
- childhood as a separate stage was short lived
- ‘mini-adults’- faced same punishment etc
- high death rates reflect child neglect, referred to baby as it
what is the globalisation of western childhood
some sociologists argue that western notions of childhood are being globalised. Welfare agencies accused of imposing western childhood notions on the rest of the world. Reflecting what childhood notions should be, where this is the notion for their culture.
what is the modern cult of childhood
according to Aries, elements of the modern notion of childhood gradually began to emerge from the 15th century onwards
*schools- church schools saw children as fragile creatures
* dress started to set children apart from adults
* handbooks on childbearing is widely available
ARIES: moved to a world that is obsessed with childhood
what is the AO3 for the modern cult of childhood
childhood did not exist it was just a different notion
what is the future of childhood
postman childhood is disappearing ‘ at a dazzling speed’ eg giving children the same rights, similar clothing
what doe information hierarchy mean
children could not read, knowledge about sex, violence and death was ‘adult matter’. Tv broke down this boundary as children are able to access this information. innocence of children is replaced by knowledge and cynicism
A03 for the future of childhood
+ valuable in showing how technology can influence childhood
-but ignores other factors that influence childhood development
how is childhood described in post modernity
jenks- childhood is not disappearing but changing
post modern society is less stable eg divorce. Adults thus became protective over children
what are A03 for post modernists views on childhood
over generalises that all children are in the same position
name 3 reasons for the changes in the position of children
- law restricting child labour/ paid work= rather than economic assets, children became an economic liability, dependent on their parents financially
- laws and policies= minimum ages eg smoking, sex
- compulsory schooling=big effect on WC families, raising of school leaving age made children economically dependent on parents
what is age patriarchy
Gittens (1998) uses the term ‘ age patriarchy’ to describe inequalities between adults and children. patriarchy means rule by father and as Gintis point out, the term ‘family ‘referred originally to the power of the male head over all other members of the household
what is a critic of age patriarchy
child liberationists argue adults control over children’s lives is justified in order to keep them safe as children’s cannot make rational decisions
what is Aries and Shorter march of progress view
they argue that todays children are more valued, better cared for, protected and educated, enjoy better health and have more rights than those of previous generations eg children today are protected from harm by laws against child abuse.
what does child centeredness mean
march of progress sociologists argue that families have become child cantered. children now are the focal point of the family and are consulted on many decisions
what does palmer argue is a Toxic childhood
she argues that rapid technological and cultural changes in the past 25 years have damaged children’s physical, emotional and intellectual development These changes include junk food and computer games for long hours
what are the inequalities among children
not all children share the same status or experiences for example children of different nationalities are likely to experience different childhoods. Bonke (1999) found that girls do more domestic labour especially in lone parent families.
what are the inequalities between children and adults
firestone and halt argue that many of the things that march of progress writers see as care and protection is actually new forms of oppression and control
what do critics say about the new sociology of childhood
these critics see the need to free children from adults control, and so, their view I described as ‘ child liberationalism’. Adult control takes a number of forms
what is the new sociology of childhood
this approach doesn’t see children as adults in the making. Instead it sees children as active agents who play a major part in creating their own childhoods
