childhood and ethnicity Flashcards
Stephen wagg (1992)
“childhood is socially constructed”
“there is no single universal childhood”
Jane Pinlher (1995)
most important feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness
how is childhood seen as a clear and distinct life stage
- laws regulating what children are allowed , required of forbidden to do
- differences in dress
- products and services specially for children eg toys, food , entertainment
idea of childhood as a ‘golden age’
- of happiness and innocence
- children even as vulnerable and in need of protection from the dangers of the adult world
result for childhood being seen as ‘golden age’
- children’s lives lived largely in the sphere of the family & education
- adults provide for them and protect them form outside world
- lead lives of leisure and play and are largely excluded from paid work
What does Wagg (1922) ‘s view on education mean
while all humans go through the same stages of physical development , different cultures construct or define this process differently
childhood in western cultures
children defined as vulnerable and unable to fend for themselves
other cultures
don’t necessarily see such a great difference between children and adults
Ruth Benedict (1934)
children in simpler , non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their modern western counterparts in three ways
3 ways western children are treated differently to children in non-industrial societies (Ruth Benedict)
- they take responsibility at an early age
- less value is placed on children showing obedience
- children’s sexual behaviour may be viewed differently
(Ruth Benedict) children in non-industrial societies take responsibility at an early age
- Samantha Punch’s (2001) study of childhood in rural Bolivia –> once children about 5 y/o expected to take work responsibilities in the home
Ruth Benedict argues ( conclusion)
in many non-industrial cultures , there is much less of a dividing life between the behaviour expected of children and that expected by adults
- key idea that childhood is not a fixed thing found universally in the same form in all human docs
globalisation of western childhood
international and humanitarian welfare agencies have exported and imposed on the rest of the world , western norms of what childhood should be
western childhood
based in the nuclear family and school , in which children are innocent , dependent and vulnerable and have no economic role
notions of childhood are socially
constructed
- vary between different cultures
- vary even in the same societies
- have changed through history
childhood in contemporary Britain
- inequality based on social class, ethnicity and gender means that not all children have the same experience of growing up
- For example, girls, particularly Asian girls, will often have a more restricted childhood than
boys - poorer children are likely to suffer more ill-health and disability and have fewer educational qualifications than
those who are better-off.
27%
of children living in Britain (2014) are defined as poor.
Phillipe Ariès (1960)
- argues that in pre-industrial European society, childhood did not exist.
- His analysis through secondary sources such as letters, diaries and historical documents as well as medieval paintings demonstrated that children were treated no differently from adults:
children in pre-industrial European society
- were seen as ‘little adults’
- made to work as young as 7 or 8 years of age alongside adults
- seen as economic assets rather than as a focus of love and affection
- criminally responsible in the eyes of the law
- could be tried and punished for crimes
Aries argued that:
two factors explain why society did not regard children as objects of love and devotion
- High level of infant mortality. ( very high level of infant mortality, which may have
led parents to be indifferent towards infants) - Financial reasons
- Children had to work in order for the family unit to survive, which in turn meant they were given adult responsibilities at a younger age.
Benedict (1934)
- found that children in non-western cultures have
more responsibility at home and work - found that in many non-western cultures, the expected
behaviour of children was less clearly separated from the expected behaviour of adults
Benedict A03
At the time of Benedict’s research, western societies had a
very different opinion of non-western cultures. There was an idea that adults in these societies where child-like themselves
Pilcher, 1995
Childhood in the west is clearly defined as a separate section of
life to adulthood
Shorter, 1975
High infant mortality rates meant that parenting attitudes were
different
Postman (1994)
- thinks that childhood is
disappearing. - thinks that the shift from print
culture (written words) to television culture has been the cause of change
‘march of progress’ - aries
Aries believes that children
in today’s society:
- Are more valued
- Are more protected
- Are better educated
- Are healthier
- Have far more rights
Palmer
- believes that rapid technological and cultural changes have damaged children’s physical, emotional and intellectual
development - result of intensive marketing to
children, parents working long hours and testing in education
Gittins
- believes that there is an age
patriarchy of adult domination and child dependency. - This may assert itself in the form of violence against children
Aries argues that it was ____ that influenced the ______ ________ of childhood, that is,
changed our ______ towards children.
Aries argues that it was industrialisation that influenced the social construction of childhood, that is,
changed our attitude towards children.
by the 19th century,
- laws and social changes = emergence of ‘childhood’
- E.g. laws were introduced that banning children from working in mines and factories and which isolated most children from the ‘real world’ of adult work and responsibilities
Elementary Education Act 1870
law to provide education for children up to the age of
10
some working-class children ignored the new laws and (1760 onwards)
continued to work in mines and factories, since their families were often dependent on their children’s
wages for survival (there being no welfare or state pensions)
Wendy Rogers (2001)
argues that two dominant images of childhood emerged in
the 19th century and remain with us today: that of the sinful child and that of the innocent child
Wendy rogers - sinful child
assumes children are essentially selfish and unable to control their selfish desires. This is associated with the ‘control view’ of childhood, in which the job of
adults is to control, regulate and discipline children
Wendy rogers - innocent child
The innocent child view suggests there is something wholesome and precious
about childhood and that children should be protected from the nasty adult world and allowed
the freedom to enjoy their time of innocence
British society has become more ____ _______ in the post-
war period, which means…
the welfare of children is very important in society: we spend large amounts of
time, effort and money on a smaller number of children.
Why did the position of children change in the 19th and 20th centuries?
- industrialisation
- decline of infant mortality rates
- advances of infant mortality rates
- advances in specialist knowledge about children
- laws banning child labour
- compulsory schooling
- contraception
- children protection and welfare laws
- laws about social behaviour
From the 1840s
children changed from economic assets to
economic liabilities, financially dependent on their parents.
Children Act (1989)
sets outs parents’ ‘responsibilities’ and protects children who are thought to be at risk, mandating action if necessary by involving the social services and the police
‘march of progress’ :) - children
- Children’s welfare has improved, in terms of their education, psychology and health.
- Infant mortality rate has declined; most babies now survive.
- Smaller family size means parents can afford to provide for children’s needs
- Children are protected from harm and exploitation by laws against child abuse and child labour.
negative view (marxists and feminists)
- argue that the ‘march of progress’ view is idealised
- (Gender differences) Girls are more likely to perform domestic duties and parents often are more protective of girls, allowing them much less
independence. - Ethnic differences: eg, Asian parents are more likely to be strict towards their daughters than white parents.
- Class inequalities: eg poor children tend to lack many of the experiences that middle-class children may enjoy (holidays, day-trips and activities)
Marxists
argue that how we treat children is likely to depend on the economy and the needs of the means of production
