Family: Childhood Flashcards
Which thinkers believe in social construction of childhood?
Aries
Shorter
James and Prout
Mayall
Hey
Frosh
Aries
Extreme view - childhood is a social construct.
Middle Ages - idea of childhood did not exist, children weren’t seen as essentially different to adults.
Children were expected to work much earlier than now, law often didn’t distinguish between child and adult
Artwork from the period just depicted children as small adults
The idea childhood is a distinct phase of life to adulthood only took hold from 13th century onwards
Shorter
Parental attitudes to children in Middle ages was very different to now:
High infant mortality rate encouraged indifference and neglect, especially towards infants
Parents often didn’t name their newborn babies, referring to them as ‘it’, often children were given the name of a dead sibling
James and Prout
Emphasised the socially constructed nature of childhood.
Children being immature is biological fact, but the meanings society attaches to that makes childhood a separate area of study.
Children’s relationships with adults and other children are worthy of study: as children are not passive but active participants in creating childhood.
Mayall
argues that children should be studied because they take on both the expressive and instrumental role in families.
They may support their parents and often take care of younger siblings or older people
Can also happen if the parent is disabled
Hey
in a study of girls’ friendships, points out that girls can be supportive and sharing, but they also bitch at, fall out and exclude each other.
Frosh
Studied boys and how they constructed masculinity,
Found that being ‘manly’ prevented boys from discussing or managing emotions.
Thinkers that believe socity has become child-centred
Cunningham
Pilcher
Cunningham
Modern childhood is a protected and privileged time.
3 Major factors:
Childhood (up to 18) are the opposite of adulthood: innocent, vulnerable, dependent, in need of adult protection
Social world of adults and children are socially, physically, symbolically separated: adult and child only spaces
Childhood associated with certain rights: right to happiness, to be safe, healthy, to enjoy their childhood
Pilcher
British society has become child centred. Parents have fewer children as most survive to adulthood so parents invest more time and money in them
The most important feature of childhood is separateness - childhood is a separate life stage, status. Seen as special
EG laws regulating what children can and cannot do, differences in clothing, products (toys, food)
Pester power
Children now have more power to pester parents for consumer items. Children aged 7-11 are estimated to be worth 20 million pounds a year as consumers.
Pugh
Parents give in to pester power because they are ‘cash rich but time poor’.
They feel guilty about not spending time with their children so they spend money. Because they have to work
Evans and Chandler
Parents give into pester power bc peer pressure to keep up with other families
Which thinkers believe that modern childhood is damaging from a functionalist/New Right perspective?
Neil Postman
Palmer
Philips
Furedi
Jenks (2005)
Neil Postman
Childhood is disappearing ‘at a dazzling speed’, the distinction between adulthood and childhood is narrowing.
Society is primarily shaped by communications tech
Middle ages: most were illiterate - so little adult/child distinction
Printed word: many able to read for the first time - Created a division between those who could read (adults) and those that had not yet learned to read (children). Learning to read and write became childhood.
Contemporary technology like TV and internet mean children are more able to access the adult world - eg social media, 18+ films. So childhood as we know it is disappearing.
