Families- T5- The Nature of Childhood Flashcards
What was childhood like in Tudor Times?
- Children dressed like their parents
- Everyone worked together- apprentice from 8 years old
- Everyone was held responsible- 7yr old could be hanged for stealing
- Children could not escape from the adult world
What was childhood like in Pre-Industrial Society?
Aries 1962- the nature of childhood today is due to social intervention and could not of existed in pre-Industrial society
- Seen as an economic asset
-Bonded over toys and games
- Emotional love was difficult, Shorter 1975
What was childhood like in Industrialisation
The process where societies moved from agricultural production to industrial manufacturing
- Emotional love was still rare, especially in WC families- as children were needed to work in factories, mines and mills
BUT MC attitudes began to change and there was a growth in marital and parental love as the infant- mortality rate began to fall
What were the social attitudes towards industrialisation
- During the Mid 19th cent attitudes changed
- Concerns for juvenile delinquency, beggars and child prostitution as children were often on the streets
- Some children were rejected from work in mines and factories due to a significant number of deaths
What is the social construction of childhood
Cunningham 2006- the change in attitudes lead to social construction of ‘childhood’ by adults
The opposite of adulthood:
- Children were seen to be in need of protection, have the right not to work and be dependent on adults
- the 2 world were to be kept separate- banned from pubs, home and school were seen as ideal places
- Happiness
Evaluation of different time periods of childhood
- There is still considerable evidence that children continued to be treated badly
- children prostitution
- child abuse
- sexual consent was not raised to age 16 until the turn of the 20th cent
What are the cross cultural differences?
Benedict 1934- child in simpler socieites, treated differently in 3 ways
1. they take responsibility at an early age
- punch- in bolivia at 5 children are expected to work
- Holmes- samoa ‘to young’ not a reason
2. Less value placed on obedience
- Firth- Tikopia tribe, doing as your told is a concession is not a right
3. Sexual behaviour is viewed differently
- Malinowski- trobriand island, attitudes of tolerance and amusement taken
What was childhood like in the 20th cent
- Child-centred society
- improved standards of living and nutrition lead to a significant decline in infant mortality rates - Children became more expensive
- People could not choose to have fewer children (contraception available), therefore parents could invest more love in the children they did have
- Childhood had separated from adulthood and children were seen to be in need of special attention and protection
What were the reasons for the change in position of children
- Laws- restricting child labour, specifically protecting children
- Compulsory education
- Child protection welfare
- Growth in children’s rights
- Declining family size/ lower infant mortality
- Medical knowledge
What were the reasons for the development of modern childhood
1 Child protection acts (1989)
2. Industrialisation- society now needs an educated workforce
3. Law restricting child labour
4. Introduction of compulsory education
5. Development of economic market directed at childhood
6. Law that apply specifically to children
How as the social attitudes towards childhood been reflected in the state policy
- Compulsory education
- Social services and social workers
- Economic benefits
- Children’s act 2003- ‘Every Child Matters’
What is the future of childhood
sociologists have noticed the distinction between adulthood and childhood narrowing
Neil Postman 1994- he argues that childhood is disappearing at a dangerous speed- television and internet blew this situation
- Clothing and activities
- Adult crimes
- Mass literacy
What was childhood like in Post modernity
Jenks 2005- believes that childhood is changing as society moves modernity to postmodernity
- unstable adult relationships
- relationships with children contribute to adult stability and identity
- But this increases parental control of children through fear of safety
Jenks disagrees with Postman- the legal differences between adults and children keep them separate
How has the position of children improved?
The march of progress:
- over the past few centuries the position of children in western societies has been steadily improving
What are the factors that have contributed to improving the position of children?
- Education Professionals
- Health Care Professionals
-Higher Living Standards - The Child Centred Family
