FAMILIES AND HOUSEHOLDS: CHILDHOOD Flashcards
Childhood as a social construct:
-Many sociologists argue childhood is socially constructed. Meaning it is created and defined by society, it is not fixed, it varies depending on factors such as time place and culture.
what are 3 features of childhood in our society
-Special time
-Physical immaturity
-Lack of skills and knowledge
Wagg(1992):
-Childhood is socially constructed. There is no singular childhood, experienced by all. Due to this it is unnatural and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity.
what are 3 examples of how children are treated differently in different societies?
-Punch(2001) in Bolivia at 5 years old they’re given responsibility at such a young age (that children worked from the age of 5)
-Firth(1970) Found that in the Tikopia tribe obeying an adult tends to be regarded as concession to be granted by the child, not an expectation of the adult.
-Malinowski(1957) Found that amongst the Trobriand Islanders adults took a tolerant attitude towards sexual activities and exploitations of children, often finding it amusing.
what is the globalisation of western childhood?
-western ideas of childhood spreading around the world
-ideas of what childhood should be like imposed on other countries
-e.g. campaigns against child labour and this may go against the norms of that certain culture.
what are 2 ways that children are seen as the same as adults in the middle ages?
-worked alongside adults
-behaved like adults (e.g. drinking)
how does the painting illustrate Aries’ view of childhood in the middle ages?
-it was to show people were illiterate
-In the Middle Ages he found that the concept of childhood did not exist. Once children had passed an age of physical dependency they were no longer distinct from adults, they also had to work from a young age. Laws also made no distinction between adult and child.
Shorter(1975):
-found that due to high infant mortality rates parents did not form emotional attachments to their children, this encouraged neglect. It was apparent that parents would pass down names of their deceased children, and even forgot how many children they had had.
what are 3 reasons for the modern notion of childhood?
- schools
- clothes
- family being more child-centred
what is 1 criticism of aries’ work?
-overexaggerated his case
-there were laws in medieval europe e.g prohibition of marriage of children under 12.
- it was a painting so lacks validity as u can have many interpretations of it.
what laws were introduced to change in the position of children?
- laws against child labour
-introduction of compulsory education in 1880
-child welfare legislation (1889 prevention of cruelty to children act, 1989 children act)
-growth of children’s rights
what were the social changes to change in the position of children?
- declining family size to become more child centred
-industrialisation as children need to be educated and cared for in order to be useful workers later
-lower immortality rate
Postman(1994)
-Believes that childhood is disappearing at a “dazzling rate”. He believes that the distinction between adult and child is becoming increasingly blurred. This is a result of:
-The disappearance of childhood games
-Increasing similarities in clothing
-Cases of children committing adult crimes e.g murder
-Trends towards children having the same rights as adults.
-Rise of television culture and fall of print culture.
what 3 ways in which Postman argues childhood is disappearing?
- similarity in clothing to what adults wear
- same rights as adults
- access same content as adults view
-do similar activities to what adult e.g. drinking
what is the main reason for the disappearance of childhood?
-the rise and fall of print culture and tv culture
(so children can access adult things)
what is the Information Hierarchy?
-Postman argues that childhood as emerged due to the rise of mass literacy. The printed word creates an information hierarch which refers to a division between those able to read and those unable to read, e.g. Adults and children. Tv culture destroys the information hierarchy.
Opie(1993) - criticism of postman
-Argues that childhood is not disappearing. It is argued that unsupervised childhood games, songs and rhymes still exist.
Jenks(2005)
-Disagrees with the argument that childhood is disappearing. He states that modern society was concerned with futurity and that childhood was a preparatory stage for the future. A child needed to be nurtured by the family and the education system in order to be a productive adult. He argues childhood is undergoing change as we move from modernity to postmodernity.
The move from modernity to postmodernity:
-Jenks believes we are undergoing change as we move from modernity to postmodernity.
-In modernity, regarding adults, relationships were more stable but in postmodernity, they are much less stable.
=This creates insecurities and relationships with children become more important, adults as a result are much more protective.
-This further develops the fact that children are innocent and in need of protection.
what are 2 criticisms of Jenk’s work?
-unrepresentative
-over-generalised
what are 3 ways children’s lives have improved according to the march of progress view?
-children are more valued
-children have better care
-family has become more child-centred (so parents invest into their children and give them a say in decisions)
Toxic childhood:
-Palmer(2010) believes that the UK today is experiencing this.
The “toxic childhood” has emerged due to:
-Junk food
-Computer games and social media/ or the “electronic village”
-long working hours for parents/guardians
-Growing emphasis on testing in education
-intensive marketing to children
What does the toxic childhood result in?
-Damages physical, emotional and intellectual development. The UK have higher rates for:
-obesity
-early sexual experience
-teenage pregnancy
-self harm
-drug and alcohol abuse
Conflict view on the position of children:
(criticisms of march of progress view)
-Conflict theorists reject that there has been a March of progress and the fact that childhood has improved. They believe that the MOP view on childhood is idealised that ignores important inequalities based on two grounds:
-Inequalities between children
-Inequalities between adult and child.
Inequalities between children:
-All children experience childhood differently and these experiences differ based on social stratification groups such as gender, class and ethnicity.
Inequalities between children: Bonke(1993)
-found that girls do more domestic work(5x more than boys) especially in lone parent households. This evidence suggests inequalities between children based on GENDER.
Inequalities between children: Hillman(1993)
-found that parents tend to be more tolerant with boys. e.g letting them cross and cycle on roads, use buses, and stay out after dark. His evidence suggests inequalities between children based on GENDER.
Inequalities between children: Brannen(1994)
-found evidence to suggest inequalities between children based upon gender. He found that Asian parents were more strict towards their daughters than other parents.
How does social class cause inequalities between children?
-Children born into poorer families are more likely to die during infancy, suffer illness, be shorter, fall behind in school, have hyperactivity disorders or conduct disorders and be placed on child protection registers.
-Poorer mothers are more likely to have low weight babies and this is a link to delayed physical and intellectual development.
Child Liberationism: Neglect and abuse
-This includes physical neglect, or physical, emotional and sexual abuse.
ChildLine receives over 20,000 calls per year from children stating they are being abused sexually and physically.
Child Liberationism: Control over children’s space
-The movement of children in industrial societies is regulated at a high level.
-Often shops will have signs reading “no school children”.
-increasing surveillance of children.
-Statistics which show increased control:
In 1971 86% of children walked to school alone, in 2010 this was 25%.
-Cunningham: areas in which children are allowed to travel alone has shrunk from 1/9 of the size it was 25 years ago
Child Liberationism:
Control over children’s bodies
-This control involves the way children sit, walk, run, dress, eat. Children are washed, fed and dressed by parents, their hands are held and they are even picked up cuddled and kissed.
Child Liberationism:
Control over children’s access to resources
-Children are limited with opportunity to earn money and so they remain dependant upon their parents- this is due to labour laws and compulsory schooling.
Pocket money is only given if “earned”.
Child Liberationism: control over children’s time
-when you get up, go to school, play out
-Samoans: ‘too young’ never given as an excuse
Gittens(1998): new age patriarchy
-Refers to the inequalities between children and adults as “age patriarchy”. This describes the domination of children by adults. He makes the link that the home tends to be dominated by the male and has power over women and children.
Humphreys and Thiara(2002): resist the status of child
-Found that 1/4 of 200 women in their study left abusive relationships as they feared their children’s safety. This supports Gittens and the idea that patriarchy effects women AND children.
Critics of the child liberationist view:
-State that some control over children is needed due to them being unable to make rational decisions. They also state that children are not as powerless as claimed by liberationists. E.g. The UN convention on the rights of the child establishes that children have the legal right to be protected and consulted.
The new sociology of childhood
-Disagree with Mayall that children are passive puppets. They believe children are active agents who contribute majorly to creating their own childhoods.
Smart(2011):
-Believes the new sociology of childhood is an approach which aims to include the viewpoints of children whilst they are still experiencing childhood. Smart agrees with Mayall that we need to understand the present tense of childhood.
Mason and Tipper(2008);
Found that children make their own definition on who is family, despite whether or not they are a blood/”proper” auntie or uncle etc.
Smart et al(2001):
-Found that when involved in divorce children were actively involved and made attempt to better situations as oppose to being a passive victim.
Hockey and James(1993): criticisms of child liberanist view
-Found that children in oppressive childhoods did the following:
-Acting up: carried out adult traits such as smoking and also exaggerated their age.
-Acting down: Using behaviour expected by younger children.
