Families: Childhood Flashcards
define social construction
- not naturally occuring
- created by society and gets its meaning from culture and society itself
- different over time and between societies
changes across cultures
- Benedict: in non- industrial cultures there is less of a distinction between adult and child behaviour and expectations. children are treated very badly e.g.
- Bolivia: from the age of 5, children work beside adults
- Black Foot Indians: beat boys to make them strong
Laws
- 1980: compulsory schooling
- recent changes: school compulsory until 18
- 1989: prevention of cruelty to children Act
- 1989: Children Act: child welfare is a fundamental principle underpinning the work of agencies eg social services
Laws: evaluation
+ growth in childrens rights: parents now have responsiblities rather than rights towards their children
- Hillman: gender inequality - boys have more freedom
- Brannen (1994) Asian parents are more strict towards girls.
Conflict view
Marxist and feminists argue the position of children has not improved
- gender, ethnicity, and class all impact a childs’ experience
- child labour laws force children to be more dependant on adults more than ever
- adults have control over children ( space, time, resources, bodies and access). this causes neglect and abuse.
toxic childhood
Palmer: technological and cultural changes have damaged childrens PIES
- obesity
- working parents
- video games
- SATs
is childhood disappearing?
YES
- Postman: same rights as adults
- ‘mini me’ clothing
- children commit adult crimes as a result of TV and social blurring
NO
- Opie: seperate childrens’ culture
why and when did the modern idea of childhood develop?
- social attitudes towards children changed mid 19th century
- campaigners were concerned about juvenile deliquency, beggars, and prostitution. children then went to school
- industrialisation bought a shift from agriculture to manufactoring
- an educated workforce was needed to run/work in factories
- higher standard of lliviing led to improved mortality rate
changes over time
- Aires: childhood didnt exist in the middle ages
- Shorter: high death rate meant that parents often treated their children with indifference and neglect
Pester Power theory
advertisers target children in order to nag/pester their parents to buy thr latest products eg christmas adverts
Pester Power evaluation
Marxists would argue this is good as it keeps society functioning.
Postman theory
1982
fall in print media and growth in TV means there are no secrets kept from children
eg, shift in watershed, 24 hr news
Postman evaluation
+ clear growth in the accessibility of technology
+ easier to stumble across adult material
- children are still protected: parental guidance ratings, watershed
Palmer theory
2007
adults are benefitting from living in a wealthier society
technology is harming: used as an alternative to parenting
Palmer evaluation
+ children ages 7-11 are worth £20 million - evidence of techonology
- demands of society mean parents are working more hours and in order to manage this they are in need of technologye
Evans and Chandler theory
2006
material posessions are seen as a sign of love and good parenting
Evans and Chandler evaluation
+ Children are a unit of consumption - marxism, pester power.
Opie theory
Argues opposite to Postman - still a distinct childrens culture seperate from adult world e.g. childrens tv channels, play their own games
Opie evaluation
+ marketing towards children e.g. over 1100 soft play centres in England
- ‘mini me’ clothing - ‘encouraging children to grow up faster
Phillips theory
1997
- parenting in the UK has been broken down and the innocence of childhood has been undermined
- child rights: parents unable to discipline children due to criticism. e.g. ban on smacking in Scotland
- media and peers are more influential than parents.
Phillips evaluation
+ vast amount of media aimed at children e.g. magazines
- parents still have authority over children and sanctions are put into plasce to encourage this.
Shorter theory
Parental attitudes in the Middle Ages were different: high infant mortality rate encouraged neglect (calling child ‘it’ or reusing names)
Shorter evaluation
+ supports Aires view that childhood is a new invention
- retrospective study: we weren’t here in the Middle Ages so conclusions came from content analysis.
March of progress view
belief that the position of children has improved
- children under 13 cannot work
- only work full time after minimum school leaving age
- Young people in England must stay in education until 18
- Infant mortality rate 4/1000
- average number of children: 1.9
- child protection/ safeguarding laws
- Childrens act 2004 Every Child matters
