Childhood essay plans

Question 1

Introductory paragraph for childhood as social construction debate.

Answer 1

Many sociologists see childhood as a social construction, which means it is something that is defined and created by society, and varies across space, time and cultures. Contrary to common belief, childhood is not only biologically determined. As Stephen Wragg puts it, there is no universal definition of childhood.

Question 2

Theorist for first paragraph of social construction debate. (View: No, it is not socially constructed)

Answer 2

Pilcher

Question 3

What is Pilcher’s view.

Answer 3

Childhood in western contemporary societies is a distinctive life stage where children occupy a different status than adults. This is emphasised in several ways, such as laws like child labour laws and compulsory education. Childhood in the western world is also seen as the age of happiness and innocence.

Question 4

AO3 of Pilcher

Answer 4

Strength: Can be argued to be showing differences in childhood from place to place. For instance in third-world countries, children become soldiers in civil wars, which starkly contrasts with the western age of innocence.
Weakness: However, laws do not clearly define the end of childhood. In the UK the drinking age is 18 but the age of consent is 16.

Question 5

2nd paragraph of childhood as social construction debate.

Answer 5

Sensible analytical approach.

Question 6

What is sensible analytical approach in sociology

Answer 6

Some stages in childhood are more likely to be socially constructed. For toddlers, the experience is more universal since the only way they survive is to depend on others, whereas for 13+age group, there are cultural differences. For instance, western kids are more likely to be allowed to date at a young age than asian kids

Question 7

3rd paragraph of childhood as social construction debate.

Answer 7

Cross-cultural differences

Question 8

Theorist of cross-cultural differences

Answer 8

Benedict
Holmes (for the example)

Question 9

Cross-cultural differences in childhood

Answer 9

Benedict found a contrast between pre-industrial societies and industrialised western societies as to how they treat children. Children in non-industrialised societies are characterised by early responsibility, less value on obedience to authority and amusement to sexual behaviour in children. For example, HOLMES found that in SOMOAN villages, “too young” was never a reason for a kid not doing a task.

Question 10

4th paragraph of childhood as social construction debate.
what are the theorists??

Answer 10

Historical differences.
Aries and Shorter

Question 11

Gistorical differences in childhood?

Answer 11

Aires found that the idea of childhood did not exist back in medieval Europe, as they were seen as “little adults”. Children work from an early age and has the same rights and duties as adults. Therefore Aries see the 20th century as the century of the child. T
This is coupled by Shorter’s findings that parental attitudes used to be very different, such as high infant mortality rates encouraged indifference and neglect.

Question 12

AO3 of sensible analytical approach

Answer 12

Toddler’s experience is not actually universal since it can depend on class and country of origin

Question 13

5th paragraph of childhood social construction debate

Answer 13

New sociology of childhood.
Theorists: Child liberationists, Mayall, Smart

Question 14

New sociology of childhood

Answer 14

Favoured by child liberationists who are concerned about children’s point of view, this view criticises current studies of childhood lack of children’s perspective and risks seeing children as what Mayall calls passive “socialisation projects”. Instead, Mayall said we should see them as active agents that shape their childhoods. This is evidenced by Smart’s study of divorced families where children rather than being victims actively tried to improve the situation.

Question 15

Structure of changing position of children debate

Answer 15

March of progress
AO3 of march of progress: Child liberationists, NR
Conflict view+ short AO3 for class inquality
Child liberationists +short AO3

Question 16

March of Progress in children’s position

Answer 16

Theorists like Aries and Shorter believe the position of children has been steadily improving and it is better than it has ever been today. Aires and Shorter believe the modern notion of childhood emerged from the 13th century, such as the church saw children as creations of god that needed protection from devils. Today society is child-centred, evidenced by laws that protect their rights like child labour laws which prevent exploitation. Higher living standards and smaller family sizes also mean each child gets more attention and financial investment, stimulating physical and intellectual development.

Question 17

AO3 of march of progress

Answer 17

Child liberationists criticise the march of progess view and say children nowadays suffer from over-protection and loss of freedom. GITTINS said the age patriarchy allowed adults to control children’s time, space, bodies and resources in order to keep children as subordinates and maintain authority.
On the other hand, NR theorists like PHILLIPS argue children today have to many rights and have to be controlled more to avoid inadequate socialisation which causes social problems. For instance, the emergence of child gangs.

Question 18

overview of CONFLICT VIEW of childhood’s position

Answer 18

Conflict theorists like Marxists and Feminists argues the march of progress view is an idealised image of childhood and that there are inequalities among children (class, ethnicity, gender) and between children and adults that are ignored.

Question 19

Intra-child conflicts and their corresponding theorists

Answer 19

Gender: Hillman, Mcrobbie
Ethnicity: Brannen
Class: Sarah Womack(2007) and Howard

Question 20

Intra-child conflict: gender

Answer 20

Hillman argues parents in general are sticter with daughters although it is more significant in some ethnic minorities. This is due to gender role socialisation into what MCROBBIE calls a bedroom culture where girls are encouraged to stay indoors and do quiet activities like reading. HILLMAN found boys are allowed to be out after dark at an early age than girls.

Question 21

Intra-child conflict: Ethnicity

Answer 21

Brannen found Asian parents are more likely than other parents from other ethnicities to be stricter with daughters.
However, some minorities are more likely to be from lower income brackets, showing how class and ethnicity can combine and influence childhood.

Question 22

Intra-child conflict: Class

Answer 22

Sarah Womack(2007):
Childhood is onky toxic and disappearing for children from poor households. They have miserable and desperate lives.
Howard:
Added that poor children are more likely to starve and have poor diet which leads to poor health. They are also more likely to be abused.

Question 23

AO3 of Class conflict between children.

Answer 23

Rich kids may also suffer from loneliness and unhappiness because they are educated in boarding schools, away from their parents. But ultimately this shows childhood experiences do differ from class to class, which means the position of children cannot be generalised

Question 24

Child liberationist view and theorists

Answer 24

Firestone: “care and protection” from march of progress is merely new forms of oppression to create a culture of dependence and maintain adult authority.
Gittins: age patriarchy: control over time, space, bodies and resources.

Question 25

Child liberationist view and theorists

Answer 25

Firestone: “care and protection” from march of progress is merely new forms of oppression to create a culture of dependence and maintain adult authority.
Gittins: age patriarchy: control over time, space, bodies and resources.

Question 26

AO3 of child liberationist view

Answer 26

Kids are not powerless under adult supervision. E.g. 1989 Children Act protects their rights

Question 27

Structure of debate of future of childhood

Answer 27

Postman: disappearing childhood
AO3 of Postman: Opie
Palmer: Toxic childhood
AO3 of Palmer: awareness of mental health
Universal childhood

Question 28

Postman: disappearing childhood

Answer 28

Childhood today is disappearing because kids grow up rapidly due to the collapse of information hierarchy. Children have access to “Adult” topics such as pornography and violence on the internet, leading to adultification of children.

Question 29

AO3 of Postman

Answer 29

Opie: childhood is only changing. Children progammes, songs.

Question 30

Palmer: Toxic childhood

Answer 30

Technological and cultural changes damage children’s physical, psychological and emotional development. For instance rise in mental health problems and drug abuses. This is due to poor diet, poor sleep patterns, lack of family interaction etc.

Question 31

AO3 of Palmer

Answer 31

The phenomena is not new because there has been a rise in mental health awareness

Question 32

Universal childhood argument

Answer 32

Childhood is becoming homogenous across the globe due to the spread of western notions of childhood by globalisation. For example, globalised media and TV programmes like Disney channel. Tiktok. Beating children is increasingly less and less common in Asian households.