(Families & Households)- Childhood Flashcards
What do sociologists believe about childhood?
Sociologists see childhood as a social construct, created and defined by society. It differs between time, places, and cultures.
What are some examples of cross-cultural comparisons in childhood?
- According to the International Labour Organization, In some societies, children do substantial amounts of work, with 168 million child workers reported in 2012.
- Benedict found wide cultural variations in the roles of children. In Samoa, children were not considered too young to do dangerous or physically demanding tasks.
- There are approximately 300,000 child soldiers used in over 30 countries Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria and Sudan.
What is the modern western notion of childhood?
Childhood is seen as a special time of life, where children are regarded as immature and needing protection before entering adult society.
What does Jane Pilcher (1995) say about childhood?
The most important feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness, where children occupy a distinct status from adults. This is emphasised in several ways such as laws regulating what children are allowed, required or forbidden to do.
How is the separateness of childhood emphasized?
Through laws regulating children’s activities, differences in dress, and products/services specifically for children.
What is the idea of childhood as a ‘golden age’?
Childhood is viewed as a time of happiness and innocence, leading to the belief that children need protection from adult dangers.
criticism of modern western notion of childhood
Is the view of childhood as a separate age-status universal?
No, this view is not found in all societies; other cultures may not see a significant difference between children and adults.
What is the globalisation of western childhood?
Western notions of childhood are being exported globally, promoting ideas of childhood as a separate life stage, often disregarding cultural norms.
For example campaigns against child labour, or concerns about ‘street children’ in developing countries, reflect western views about how childhood ‘ought’ to be- whereas in fact, such activity by children may be the norm for culture and an important preparation for adult life.
What does Philippe Aries (1960) argue about childhood in pre-industrial times?
In the Middle Ages, ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’; children were seen as ‘mini-adults’ with similar rights and duties.
How did industrialisation affect childhood?
Social attitudes changed, leading to the exclusion of children from harmful labor, although some working-class parents resisted these changes.
What is the modern cult of childhood?
By the end of the medieval era, childhood began to be seen as special-economic liability, with the introduction of toys, clothing distinctions, and child-rearing handbooks.
What criticisms have been made of Aries’ work?
- His work is seen as value-laden, implying modern views are superior.
- Critics argue that childhood concepts were different, not absent.
- His generalizations are based on limited data from French aristocracy.
What are some reasons for changes in the position of children?
Changes include laws restricting child labor, the economic liability of children, declining family size, and compulsory schooling.
For example In 1833 the Government passed a Factory Act to improve conditions for children working in factories. Young children were working very long hours in workplaces where conditions were often terrible. The basic act was as follows: no child workers under nine years of age.
What does Neil Postman argue about the disappearance of childhood?
Postman claims childhood is disappearing due to the rise of television culture, which blurs the distinction between adults and children.
What is Iona Opie’s counterargument to Postman?
Opie argues that childhood is not disappearing, citing evidence of a continued separate children’s culture.
What does Christopher Jenks (2005) believe about childhood?
Jenks believes childhood is changing rather than disappearing, with society still imposing rules on children.
Children are still highly regulated and restricted by legal constraints governing their sexuality, education, behaviour in public places, alcohol consumption, political rights (or lack of them) and so on.
How does Jenks characterize modern childhood?
He describes a shift from the Dionysian image of the child, needing strict control, to the Apollonian image, where children are seen as individuals needing nurturing.
What new ways of monitoring children does Jenks describe?
Children are increasingly disciplined through spatial monitoring, with restrictions on where they can go and what they can do.
What does Jenks say about late modern/postmodern childhood?
He believes we are in a new era where identities are destabilized, affecting family life and children’s roles.
For example, family life is insecure with frequent divorce, and people change jobs more often than in the past.
What does Jenks believe about modernity?
Jenks believes that modernity has been superseded by a new era called late modernity or postmodernity.
What impact has the new era had on people’s identities?
The new era has resulted in a destabilisation of people’s identities, leading to insecurity about who they are.
How have family relationships changed according to Jenks?
Family life is now insecure with frequent divorces, leading parents to value their relationships with children more.
What is the significance of the parent-child relationship in postmodernity?
The parent-child relationship is seen as a permanent biological bond that adults rely on amid uncertainty.
What contradiction exists in society regarding childhood?
There is a contradiction between the need for children to develop independence and the need to protect them.
