Childhood As A Social Construction Flashcards
“Childhood is both constructed and reconstructed both for children and by children”
JAMES AND PROUT (1990) ‘Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood’
Any social construction is made of which 4 features?
Practices
Institutions
Ideologies
Discourses
All of these reproduce said phenomenon.
Practices that produce childhood?
Storybooks, the concept as well as the content.
Practices construct both the child and the adult, differentiating the two.
Social institutions that produce childhood?
LAWS - created to protect children and produce a particular kind of child (age of consent)
SCHOOL - compulsory school until 18
Ideologies that produce childhood?
Notion that childhood is a time of
Innocence
Dependency
Naivety
Social construction disrupts these ideas
Discursive practices that produce childhood?
The ways we talk to children and talk about children.
What is embedded in the 4 social constructions of childhood?
The idea that childhood is a universal phenomenon - e.g. children’s charities, they are the same worldwide
Fixed categories of childhood and adulthood.
Who argues that childhood is simply seen as the stage in life before adulthood?
QVORTRUP (1991)
Because of this, we miss the ‘beingness’ if the child.
People see children as becomings, what they will be in the future. This permeates how they are treated (law, school)
What do James and Prout say about the social construction of childhood?
Childhood is not a biological phenomenon
They are active in the construction/ determination of their own lives = agentic meaning makers producing childhood
If using James and Prouts ideas when studying childhood, it means we must critique which 3 things?
CONTEXT
CULTURE
HISTORY
James and Prout, critique CULTURE
Childhood is not a permanent space in all societies. Possible for childhood to not exist in certain cultures?
NOUR (2006) - in Niger, 77% of girls are married before 18.
Many married at birth, move to husbands house age 7.
James and Prout, critique CONTEXT
There is not just one childhood for everyone.
Varies through gender, class etc
All meaning makers, each view the world through a different frame of reference.
James and Prout, critique HISTORY
childhood cannot be a biological phenomenon as there it changes over history (Romeo and Juliet eg)
Different times expect different things from children. Wider features of society are likely to impact childhood, eg WW2 evacuees.
Effects of 1989 children act and other laws passed in 80s
Children are seen as a social group: given a voice, similar to other groups eg women
