Childhood as a social construction Flashcards
Marxists views
Believed that childhood developed as the workforce evolved and adapted to be more complex
-Interest of capitalism to keep children at home, as no longer valuable as workforce, allowed socialisation into next workforce
-Family provides shelter and care, ideology of responsibility meant that sacrifices were made for children
-Education paid for by taxes and family provide support, children are raised with no expense to employers
Functionalist views
Children prevented from work due to rise in technology, reduction in necessary workers
Laws prevent children from working and the introduction of education 1870
Education benefits family and society (creates educated workforce)
Believe that youth culture developed after WW1:
- Growing influence of children, could purchase consumables
-The mass media (radio, records)
-The youth market was profitable by companies, so targets them with their interests
-Education was extended, meaning children were placed together away from adults
Phillipe Aries (1962)
-Ideas of childhood in pre-industrial society, suggested that children did not experience childhood but were treated as equals
-Did not have exact ages or births - people seen through their abilities so it was common to see adults working alongside children - ‘little adults’
-Believed children began to change towards the end of the 17th century - decrease in infant mortality rate
-Treated with interest and affection, and childhood developed - ‘little angels’
-Social change of 17th century - privacy within family began to be more dominant than lifestyles
-Late 19th century - child-rearing was central to life in industrial societies
-Been very influential - people agree that sentiment towards children has changed and that childhood is different in different societies
Criticism of Aries
-Pollock (1983) - criticises Aries for his limited and selected use of source and evidence (paintings)
-Argues they were unrepresentative of society - commissioned by wealthy elites without a typical view of childhood. Working class would not have had paintings
-Art is also subject to opinions and trends
-Believes that qualitative data is needed, not just images (e.g. diaries, accounts)
Criticisms of Aries - Wilson (1980)
-Argues that Aries that ethnocentric
Childhood and industrialisation
-Aries - changes he outlined took longer to impact treatment of W/C children, many still in poverty and work
-Children in work was seen as an economic necessity
-Mid 19th century - legislation passed restricting children from work and limiting hours, but many were still beggars, thieves and prostitutes
-1867 - Bernado’s established first children’s home
-1889 - NSPC set up
-1870- compulsory education
Childhood and the 20th century
Emergence of child-centred society
Cunningham (2006) - child-centred society has three main features:
1. Childhood is the opposite of adulthood, children are innocent and need adult protection
2. Social worlds of children and adults is very different - children occupy spaces (e.g. school and home) with play, separate from adult spaces such as the workplace
3. Childhood is associated with certain rights - ‘right to be happy’ ‘the right to be safe’
Definition of child-centred
‘THe treating of children’s needs became a priority and as paramount, and childhood was seen as a distinct and separate group and time from adulthood. Children are seen as scared and special
Children and the state
-State became more involved in childhood
-NHS -plays a role in making children healthy (midwives, vaccinations, paediatricians)
-State controlled education (Secondary socialisation) 4-18 years
-Social services/workers to protect children against neglect
-Laws to protect children - labour laws, sex, alcohol
-Provision of child benefit and child tax benefits
-Children’s Act 2004 (updated 2014) - ECM and paramountcy principle- gave social workers the right to overrule families
Children’s Act 2004
-Enforced ‘Every child matters’ initiative - took steps to improve wellbeing of children from birth
-Aimed to protect children from ill-health, substance misuse, teenage pregnancy, abuse and crime
-Outlined that children needed to have the support to be able to healthy, safe, enjoy and achieve and make a positive contribution and achieve economic well-being
-Introduced children centres, full service extended schools (e.g. breakfast clubs), investment in CAMHS, reforms in youth justice system and speech and language therapy
Laws to protect children - labour law
Labour law - Young working people must have working conditions appropriate to their age, must be protected from economic exploitation and anything that could harm their physical or mental development. Children can start work at13, and work maximum 12 hours a week. Children of minimum school leaving age can work up to a maximum of 40 hours a week
Laws to protect children - alcohol
Because alcohol can be harmful to children the law states you have to be over 18 to buy/sell alcohol
Laws to protect children - sex laws
The age of consent in the UK is 16. It’s the age that the law has decided that teenagers are mature enough to make their own decision. Designed to prevent children from being abused by older people
Why did we become a child-centred society?
-Improved standards of living with a major decline in infant mortality rate
-Better contraception, the changing role of women and rising costs of living has seen as reduction in the number of children
-This has led to smaller, more child-centred families where parents invest more socialisation and protection children
Relativity definition
Notion that people’s experience of social life is not the same; it’s not fixed or absolute. It often differs according to social class, ethnicity, gender or location
Childhood as a relative experience - class
Childhood may vary depending on class
Upper class - spend most of their childhood in boarding school
Middle class - encouraged to aim for uni and professional career from a young age. They can expect economic support for their parents
Lareau (2011) - middle class childhood was socially constructed by ‘concerted cultivation’ (act of parents enrolling children in cultural, artistic and sporting activities)
Working class - emphasised ‘natural growth’ of children, believe that as long as children had love, care and safety then they would be well-rounded adults
Childhood as a relative experience - class (Donzelot 1979)
Poor families are more likely to be controlled by state
Childhood as a relative experience - class (Nelson 2010)
New kind of upper-middle class parenting emerged with the USA. ‘Helicopter parenting’ - parents interfere with kids upbringing and create a strict scheldule. Argues that children are then not capable of dealing with real-life situations
Childhood as a relative experience - class (Jefferies et al 2002)
W/C children have to deal with poverty - found that by the age of 7 children who experienced poverty had already fallen behind M/C children in school
Poverty also increases rate of illness in childhood and low-income families often do not experience activities that M/C children take for granted
Childhood as a relative experience - gender
Childhood can differ depending on gender
Sharpe (1976) Oakley (1985) and Fine (2010) believe that girls and boys are socialised differently depending on expectations for gender
-Have different experiences based on toys, bedrooms and interactions with parents
-Designed to teach different attitudes
Childhood as a relative experience - gender (McRobbie 2000)
Suggest girls have different experience than boys - experience stricter parenting
Boys experience ‘toning down their emotionality and familial intimacy’ and acquire ‘masculine’ role of breadwinner and wage-worker
Childhood as a relative experience - gender (McHale et al)
Suggested when families have limited budgets, they invest in activities for their sons, rather than daughters
Childhood as a relative experience - ethnicity and religion
Childhood can be different for different religions and ethnic groups
-Muslim, Hindu and Sikh children can feel a stronger feeling of duty and obligation towards parents and to not bring shame to family
Childhood as a relative experience - ethnicity and religion (Ghumann)
Ghumann (2003) - found that religion had impact on childhood experiences, e.g. Muslins spend Saturday mornings at mosque learning Qur’an
Argued that conflict between Asian parents and children exists but is solved through compromise
