Families & Households - Childhood Flashcards
What are the key questions/debates regarding childhood?
Why do sociologists see childhood as a social construct?
Is children’s position better today than it was in the past?
What does the future hold for childhood?
Why do sociologists see childhood as a social construct?
Ideas about childhood differ between societies & historical periods - constructed by society
What is the modern western notion of childhood?
Seen as being special
Children are seen as different than adults - they’re vulnerable, innocent, needy & in need of protection from the dangerous adult world - need to kept separate/isolated
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Pilcher say about childhood?
Argues childhood is very distinct as a result of separateness, age & status
Children occupy a different status than adults which is shown through dress/food/entertainment/laws & rules regulating what they are allowed/forbidden/required to do
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Wagg say about childhood?
Childhood is socially constructed - there’s no 1 universal childhood for everyone
Childhood isnt natural & not the same as physical maturity (biological category/status)
Children are physically different that adults (smaller/weaker/sexually immature-
Meaning varies over time & for different cultures
What are cross cultural differences in childhood & how is it used to explain childhood?
Involves looking at the way children are seen & treated in other times/places - shows the social construction of childhood
SOCIOLOGIST: What did Holmes find in his study of a Samoan village?
Found children take responsibility- ‘too young’ never given as a reason for not letting a child undertake a task e.g. dangerous tasks
“If a child thinks s/he can do it, parents don’t object”
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Firth say about cross cultural differences in childhood?
Less value is places on children showing obedience to authority in the tikopia (western pacific)
Doing what you’ve been told by an adult is regarded as a concession granted by children not as a right expected by adults
SOCIOLOGIST: What did Malinowski say about cross cultural differences in childhood?
Children’s sexual behaviour is often viewed differently
The adult Trobiand islanders of the south west pacific take a tolerant & amused interest in their children’s sexual activities & experiences
What are historical differences in childhood?
Children used to work and were treated differently
What are the 2 sides to the debate of ‘Is childhood better now’?
The march of progress view - positive changes
The toxic childhood view - negative changes
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Aries say about the march of progress view?
Argued children’s position in society differs over time
Middle Ages (10-13th century) - children seen as mini adults (same duties/rights/dress/punishment)
Childhood is a ‘recent invention’
We’ve moved from a world that doesn’t see children as special to one obsessed with childhood
Sees the 20th century as the century of the child - ‘cult of childhood’
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Shorter say about the march of progress view?
Parental attitudes towards children were different in the Middle Ages - high death rate encouraged parental neglect as babies were given the same name as a dead sibling/referred to as ‘baby’/‘it’ or parents would forget how many children they had
What is the evidence of a changing childhood?
Growth of schools - influenced by the church & saw children as fragile ‘creations of good’ in need of discipline & protection from worldly evils
Upper class children dressed differently by the 17th century - more suited to age group
Books on child rearing appeared in the 18th century - sign of a growing ‘child-centred’ society
What are the examples of a child-centred society?
Children have their own toys, tv programmes, play areas, special food & drink etc
Provided with education
Have their own doctors, teachers etc to care for them
What are the reasons for changes in the position of children?
Laws restricting child labour - economic assets to economic liabities so they became financially dependent on their parents
Compulsory schooling (1880) - prevented children from working & raised school leaving age
Child protection laws - prevention of cruelty to children act 1989 - made welfare of children the fundamental principle underpinned by social services + smoking & age of consent went up
Smaller family sizes & lower infant mortality rates - parents made a greater financial & emotional investment in their kids
Children’s health & development made a subject to medical knowledge
SOCIOLOGIST: What does Palmer say about the toxic childhood view?
Argues a toxic mix of technological & cultural changes have had a negative effect on development of a growing number of children
Outlines 6 main ways childhood has become increasingly toxic over the years
What were the 6 main ways childhood has become increasingly toxic over the years suggested by Palmer?
Rapid technological & cultural changes harm children
Screen saturation
Commercialisation of childhood
The decline of outdoor play
Shortened attention spans
Education: testing & targets
The schoolification of early childhood
What are some limitations of Palmer’s view on the toxic childhood?
Could be an example of ‘adult panicking’ about technological changes, maybe children are more adaptable than palmer thinks
Taking the long term view, childhood is commercialised but surely children are better off today as consumers than producers
What is the conflict view on childhood?
Argue society is based on conflict between social groups e.g. class/gender
See relationship between social groups as one of domination & subordination - dominant group = oppressors
Argue march of progress view is based on a false & idealised image that ignores important inequalities e.g. among children (many remain unprotected & badly cared for), between children (children today experience greater control, oppression & dependency not greater care & protection)
What are the different inequalities among children?
Not all children share the same status/ experiences e.g. children of different nationalities
Gender differences between children e.g. Bonke - girls do more domestic labour than boys (higher in lone parent families)
Ethnic differences - Asian parents more likely to be strict towards daughters
Class inequalities - e.g. poor mother more likely to have low birth weight babies - delayed physical/mental development (affect life chances)
Can’t speak of ‘children’ in general as all equal
When are the different inequalities between children & adults?
Adult control
Control over children’s space/time/bodies/access to resources
What are the inequalities that stem from adult control?
Neglect & abuse - 43000 children subject to child protection plans deemed at risk of significant harm usually from the parents (2013) - identify the ‘dark side’ of family life where children are the victims
What are the inequalities that stem from adult’s control of children’s space?
Children movements in industrial spaces are highly regulated e.g. CCTV in public during school hours, shops that display ‘no school children’ signs
Fears on road safety & stranger danger led more kids being driven to school rather than being driven independently - contrasts independence of kids in developing countries