Childhood Flashcards
What is a social construction?
Social constructionism is a theory of knowledge in sociology and communication theory that examines the development of jointly-constructed understandings of the world that form the basis for shared assumptions about reality.
Why is childhood considered to be a social construction?
Childhood is often described as a social construct because it is not given the same meaning across cultures and time, but is specific to each society. … Differences in the concept of ‘childhood’ across time and culture demonstrate that it is a ‘social construct’ determined by the society in which a child lives.
List three laws that separate childhood from adulthood in the UK e.g. consider laws surrounding alcohol, driving, sex etc.
Children and Young Peoples Act 1989
Convention Against Discrimination in Education
United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child
Summarise Philippe Aries’ study
Ariès regarded himself as an “anarchist of the right”. He was initially close to the Action française but later distanced himself from it, as he viewed it as too authoritarian, hence his self-description as an “anarchist”. Ariès also contributed to La Nation française, a royalist review. However, he also co-operated with many left-wing French historians, especially with Michel Foucault, who wrote his obituary.
What did The Factory Act of 1833 state?
In 1833 the Government passed a Factory Act to improve conditions for children working in factories. Young children were working very long hours in workplaces where conditions were often terrible. The basic act was as follows: no child workers under nine years of age.
What did the Children’s Charter of 1889 state?
The Prevention of Cruelty to, and Protection of, Children Act 1889, commonly known as the Children’s Charter, was a major turning point in the history of childhood. … It allowed the state to intervene in cases of ill-treatment and neglect, outlawed begging and set restrictions on the employment of children.
Functionalists tend to present the change in the experience of childhood since the 19th century to today as being a ‘march of progress’. ‘March of Progress’ sociologists argue that childhood is now significantly better than it once was
The march of progress view argues that the postion of children has been steadily imporving and today has been the best it has ever been. this paints a dark picture of how childhood used to be in the past. They argued that today’s children are more vaued, better cared for, protected and educated.The position of children is improving e.g Aries and Shorter. Children are more valued and protected e.g Child protection laws, better healthcare. The lower infant mortality rate supports this. Higher standards of living and smaller family sizes mean that children can afford to provide for kids’ needs properly.They argued that in 1973, families had become symmetrical - that is, that men and women performed similar roles. … They found that richer families spend more time apart and had more segregated roles, with wives not needing to work, and men spending time on the golf course rather than at home.
