Childhood and Socialisation

Question 1

Political concerns that lead to socialisation theory

Answer 1

Concerns that children were not becoming the right kind of adults, vulnerable.
Poorly socialised children = danger
PARADOX

Question 2

Developmental psychology that lead to socialisation theory

Answer 2

Childhood = seedbed for adult life. Childhood effects life

This idea intensified through advancements in 20th century developmental psychology FREUD etc

Question 3

Whilst children are more visible in modern times, why are they not fully represented?

Answer 3

Because they are constantly associated with families

This results in families being scrutinised

Question 4

What bothers the government about children’s coupling with family life?

Answer 4

Family is a private sphere, difficult to access/control.

Question 5

What are parents doing to access the family?

Answer 5

Parenting classes, Sure Stat Centres giving parents advice.

Labour MP Frank Field: “Being a parent […] is the hardest thing we will ask anyone to do, and we assume people get the knowledge by osmosis - and they don’t”

Question 6

Where does the socialisation theory stem from?

Answer 6

2 key writers = Parsons and Durkheim (functionalist school of thought)

Question 7

Define socialisation

Answer 7

The process in which you acquire the norms and values of the society in which you live, internalising these to become a ‘good’ citizen.

Question 8

Who described children as ‘clean slates’ for society to inscribe personhood?

Answer 8

DURKHIEM (1922) ‘Education and sociology’

Proposed by John Locke, developed by Durkhiem

Question 9

What does parsons argue about socialisation?

Answer 9

we must learn to adapt to the values of our society
These are achieved through “mechanisms of socialisation” (school, family, media)

PARSONS (1959) “the school class as a social system”

Question 10

Why does parsons argue socialisation is focused on childhood?

Answer 10

Whilst socialisation is a lifelong process, it primarily refers to childhood because
“The case of the development of the child is the most dramatic because he has so far to go”

PARSONS (1959) ‘The school class as a social system’

Question 11

critique of socialisation: wrong

Answer 11

WRONG (1961)
Although everyone is socialised, it does not necessarily mean they will internalise it. Motivational drives may conflict with societies expectations.

Question 12

critique of socialisation: failure?

Answer 12

Any deviance is considered failed socialisation: unfair, doesn’t allow for those enacting own agendas eg teen pregnancies

Labour MP Graham Allen (2011): “Parents have a strong desire to do the best for their children, but many, especially in low income groups, are ill-informed or poorly motivated on how to achieve this”

Question 13

critique of socialisation: agency?

Answer 13

Child is a passive being, no agency or initiative

Question 14

critique of socialisation: functionalism

Answer 14

highly drawn on functionalist theory - an idealised theory in itself

Question 15

critique of socialisation: one way?

Answer 15

only focuses on children, no theories look at children socialising parents into the roles of mothers/fathers
Also socialising about modern/youth culture?

Question 16

Which two reasons lead to socialisation becoming the dominant framing for the study of children until the 1990s?

Answer 16

Political concerns

Developmental psychology