Childhood as a social construct Flashcards
Modern Western Notions
Children and adults viewed as different, seen as immature, need a lengthy period of protected time.
Viewed as vulnerable in the West. Other cultures do not have the same views.
Jane Pilcher
1995
Separateness is key
Childhood seen as a clear life stage.
They occupy a separate status from adults.
Emphasised through laws, dress and services/products.
‘Golden Age’
Seen as a time of innocence and happiness.
Due to innocence, children seen as vulnerable.
Children are quarantined from danger.
Live in the sphere of family and education.
Live lives of play and leisure.
Stephen Wagg
1992
Childhood is socially constructed.
Not a universal time.
All children go through the same physical development but different cultures define this in different ways.
Western Cultures
Viewed as vulnerable and unable to defend themselves.
Other cultures do not have this view.
They do not see such differences between adults and children.
Cross Cultural Differences
Ruth Benedict
1934
Children in non industrial societies are treated differently.
This occurs in 3 ways:
1) Take responsibility from an early age
Punch 2001- Bolivia, children work from age of 5
Holmes 1974- Saomoan Village, ‘too young’ not an excuse
2) Less value placed on obedience
Firth 1970- Have decision whether they want to do it, not a right expected by the adult
3) Children’s sexual behaviour viewed differently
Malinowski 1957- Triobriand islanders, attitude of tolerance and amused interest towards experiences
Childhood not universal or fixed.
Social construct so differs.
Globalisation of Western Childhood
Western notions are being globalised.
International humanitarian/welfare agencies have exported and imposed western norms of what childhood should be.
Childhood is expected to be a separate life stage, based in the Nuclear Family and education, where children are innocent, vulnerable and dependant with no economic role.
Campaigns against child labour etc. reflect western norms.
Western childhood is spreading.
BUT, some campaigns have little impact on the position of children in LEDCs.
Historical Differences in Childhood
Aries
Some argue childhood is a modern invention
Aries 1960
In Middle Ages, 10th-13th C children seen as the same.
Separate age status was short.
Children entered work and were treated as ‘mini adults’
e.g. laws and punishment made no distinction
He uses art work as evidence.
Children painted the same but smaller.
Historical Differences in Childhood 2
Shorter’s ideas…
Shorter 1975
Parental attitudes differed.
High death rates lead to neglect and indifference.
e.g. parents give baby name of recently dead sibling, refer to baby as ‘it’ or forget how many children they had.
The Modern Cult of Childhood
Aries 1960
From 13th C onwards, modern notion began to emerge.
Schools specialised in children’s education, reflects the church’s views.
Clothing was differentiated for children. Reflected their age.
Books which specialised in child rearing were available, suggests a move towards child cent redness, especially the MC.
Aries describes the 20th C as the century of the child.
The Modern Cult of Childhood 2
Aries continued…
Pollock
Pollock 1983
critic of Aries, argued that it would be more correct to argue that society in the Middle Ages had a different notion of childhood.
BUT, Aries work is valuable, it shows that childhood is a social construct and that ideas of children and their status has changed.
Reasons for changing position of children
Laws
Laws restricting child labour and excluding children from paid work.
Children went from being an economic asset to a financial liability.
They are made financially dependant on their parents.
Reasons for changing position of children
School
Introduction of compulsory schooling 1880
Same effect as end of child labour.
Financially dependant on parents for longer as school leaving age increased.
Especially effected poor pupils.
