Families Topic 1 - Childhood Flashcards
How do sociologists view childhood?
Childhood is socially constructed and defined by society.
The meaning of childhood varies across different cultures, times, and places.
What is Pilcher’s (1995) description of childhood?
Childhood is a ‘Golden Age’ characterized by separateness, happiness, and innocence.
What is the most important feature of modern childhood?
Separateness.
What does innocence in childhood imply?
Adults must protect children from the adult world.
What does Wagg (1992) argue about childhood?
Childhood is socially constructed and not universal; it varies by society, time, and place.
How are children treated differently in non-industrial societies according to Benedict (1934)?
Children take responsibility at a young age, have less emphasis on obedience, and experience different views on sexual behavior.
What did Punch (2001) find about children in rural Bolivia?
Children worked from the age of 5.
How does Firth (1970) describe children’s obedience in the Tikopia tribe?
Obeying adults is a concession granted by the child, not an expectation.
What is the globalisation of Western childhood?
Western views of childhood are being imposed globally by humanitarian agencies.
What does Aries (1960) say about the idea of childhood in the Middle Ages?
The idea of childhood did not exist; children were treated as adults once they were physically independent.
What is the ‘Cult of Childhood’ according to Aries?
A period starting in the 13th century when the modern view of childhood began to emerge.
What significant changes occurred in the 20th century regarding childhood?
A focus on children’s rights and a societal obsession with childhood.
What are some reasons for changes in the position of children in society?
- Laws restricting child labor
- Introduction of compulsory schooling
- Growth of children’s rights
- Declining family size
- Improved healthcare
What does the march of progress view argue about childhood?
Childhood has gradually improved over the past centuries.
What are some indicators of improved childhood conditions?
- Lower infant mortality rates
- Better healthcare
- More child-centered families
- Legal protections against abuse
What is Palmer’s (2010) concept of ‘toxic childhood’?
Childhood is negatively affected by junk food, social media, and other modern pressures.
What do conflict theorists argue about childhood experiences?
Experiences of childhood differ significantly based on social stratification such as gender, ethnicity, and class.
What is ‘age patriarchy’ according to Gittins (1998)?
The domination of children by adults, similar to male domination in feminist theory.
What strategies do children use to resist their status according to Hockey & James (1993)?
- Acting up (behaving like adults)
- Acting down (behaving like younger children)
What is Postman’s (1994) view on the future of childhood?
Childhood is disappearing as the boundary between childhood and adulthood blurs.
What does Postman attribute the disappearance of childhood to?
The rise of television culture and the fall of print culture.
How does Opie (1993) counter Postman’s argument?
Childhood is not disappearing; there is still a separate childhood culture.
What is Jenks’ (2005) perspective on childhood?
Childhood is undergoing change, but it is not disappearing; relationships with children are becoming more important.
What is the primary concern of modern society according to Jenks?
Futurity
How does Jenks define childhood in the context of modern society?
A preparatory stage for the future
What role do family and the education system play in childhood according to Jenks?
Nurturing children to produce effective adults
What change is Jenks observing in childhood as society transitions from modernity to postmodernity?
Relationships are less stable
What societal trend does Jenks associate with postmodernity?
Increased likelihood of divorce
What feelings do adults develop towards children in a postmodern context according to Jenks?
Fearful and protective
What is a consequence of adults becoming more protective of their children?
Greater surveillance over children’s lives
What evidence is there regarding parental relationships in Jenks’ theory?
Parents see their relationship with children as more important than with partners
What criticism does Jenks face regarding his generalizations?
He implies all children are in similar positions despite diversity in family types
What perspective does the ‘New Sociology of Childhood’ take?
Children are active agents in creating their own childhoods
What does Mayall (2004) argue about the understanding of childhood?
Risk of viewing children as passive puppets or socialization projects
What is the aim of the approach advocated by Smart (2011)?
To include the views of children during their childhood
What do Mason & Tipper (2008) find about children’s definitions of family?
Children create their own definitions, which may include non-traditional family members
What did Smart et al’s (2001) study of divorce reveal about children’s roles?
Children actively try to improve situations rather than being passive victims
What method did the studies use to empower children to express their views?
Unstructured interviews
What do new sociology of childhood theorists argue about childhoods?
There are diverse and multiple childhoods
What types of childhoods are mentioned in the new sociology of childhood?
- Disabled childhoods
- Chinese childhoods
- Girls’ childhoods
- Childhoods of adopted children
- Poor children
What issue does the new sociology of childhood highlight regarding children and adults?
Children often lack power in relation to adults
How is the new sociology of childhood viewed by child liberationists?
It is welcomed for allowing children to express their point of view
