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Family - Childhood Flashcards

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Sociology 101 flashcards
1
Q

explain that childhood is a social construction

A

childhood is something created by society rather than

a biological state and the experiences of childhood differ between societies and historical periods

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2
Q

Who looked at childhood in pre-industrial western society

A

Phillipe Aries (1962)

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3
Q

What were Phillipe Aries (1962) main claims

A

children were little adults and took part in the same work and activities as adults. Children also had the same punishment. Toys and games for children didn’t exist. Not regarded as innocent. They are economic asset and the high infant mortality rate showed they did not emotionally invest in their children and kept mourning to a minimum

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4
Q

what are the points against Phillipe Aries (1962) claims

A

He based his research on a small sample of untypical French aristocratic families

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5
Q

Explain childhood and industrialisation

A

after industrialisation the little adult idea continued especially among the WC in factories and mills, Aries argued the MC attitudes towards children started to change there was a growth in parental love and infant mortality rate started to fall

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6
Q

explain the social attitudes after industrialisation

A

many 19th century campaigners were concerned with juvenile delinquency , beggars and child prostitution and so wanted to get children of the streets and so they were excluded from mines and factories were they were killed and injured

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7
Q

What happened in 1870 and what historical time was this

A

mass education after industrialisation - middle 19th century

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8
Q

why did the working class resist the movement of of mass education and what was done in response to this

A

they continued to send their child to work as they depended on their wage and so education was made legally compulsory in 1880 in response to this

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9
Q

Who looked at the 20th century the child-centered society

A

Cunningham (2006)

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10
Q

Explain the characteristics of Cunningham (2006)

A

children are regarded as fundamentally different to adults

childhood and adulthood are seen as opposites

The world of the adult and the world of the child are consequently now regarded as separated

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11
Q

Explain further cunninghams characteristics - children are regarded as fundamentally different to adults

A

children they are seen as both physically and psychologically immature + no longer mini adults
instead seen as vulnerable + consequently the belief that children lack the skills, knowledge + experience to run their own live + so need lengthy period of nurturing, socialisation and dependency has become dominant.

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12
Q

Explain further cunninghams characteristics - childhood and adulthood are seen as opposites

A

adulthood is associated with individuality , maturity and morality whereas childhood is seen as lacking these attributes

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13
Q

Explain further cunninghams characteristics - The world of the adult and the world of the child are consequently now regarded as separated

A

Childhood is seen as a clear and distinct life stage + children occupy a separate status from adults + children are seen to have the right to innocence + happiness + so are seen as in need of protection from adult influences

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14
Q

what effects has industrialisation have on family life and on the status of children

A
  1. Improved standards of living = nutrition - decline in IMR + decline family size + children became more expensive + contraception allowed them to have fewer children and focus on 1 or 2 in socialisation
  2. laws banning + restricting children doing paid work + becomes less as an economic asset + more economically dependent
  3. The government brought laws to protect children from neglect + cruelty which aimed to raise parental standards of child welfare (1889 Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act
  4. Introduction of compulsory schooling in 1880 reinforced economic dependency + so did the leaving school at 15 in 1944 and 16 in 1972
  5. children differences from adults was shown in differences in marketing and consumption of goods and services specifically aimed at children in terms of dress, toys and books for example
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15
Q

A great deal of social policy has been passed since 1945 aimed at protecting the rights of welfare and children - give examples (4)

A

Compulsory education - supervising socialisation and in 2013 was raise to 18

Social services- police those families in which children are thought to be at risk

The gov takes economic responsibility by paying child benefit and tax credits to parents

Governments have also taken responsibility for reducing child poverty

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16
Q

What act produced ‘Every child matters’

A

2004 Children act

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17
Q

Explain the 2004 Children act

A

‘Every child matters’ which focuses on the wellbeing of children and young people from birth to age 19 this stresses better outcomes for children such as ‘being healthy,staying safe’

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18
Q

What happened in 2007 in the government

A

they set up Department for Children,Schools and Families to ensure that all young people:

  • stay healthy and safe
  • enjoy their childhood
  • make + contribution to society and the economy
  • have lives full of opportunity, free from the effects of poverty
  • secure an excellent education and the highest possible standards of achievement
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19
Q

What act in 1991 shows children have come to be seen as individuals with rights

A

Child Support Act (1991)

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20
Q

what does the Child Support Act (1991) deal with

A

the care,bringup and protection of children + protects their welfare in the event of divorce emphasising the primary concern of the state should be the child + what children themselves say about their experiences and needs.

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21
Q

What have children used the Child Support Act (1991) for

A

to ‘divorce their parents’

to ‘force’ their separated or divorced parents to see them more regularly

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22
Q

What did the coalition government do

A

changed the department to the department of education which focused more on :
move towards academies
free schools
increased independence of school management teams
increased parental choice

moving away from every child matters brought in by Labour

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23
Q

However in the time of the coalition what happened which was likely to have a - impact on the lives of young children

A

Cuts in welfare
2013 - Child Poverty Action Group warned that cuts in welfare spending are likely to result in an extra 600,00 children being pushed into poverty and local authorities have experienced cut so child services and free bus passes in further education are likely to be cut

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24
Q

Who looked at cross-cultural differences in childhood

A

Punch (2001)

Holmes (1974)

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25
Q

Explain what Punch (2001) did + found

A

looked at cross cultural differences in childhood

he studies children in Bolivia + found children take on work responsibilities at 5 without question or hesitation

26
Q

Explain what Holmes (1974) found

A

in Samoa ‘too young’ was never given as a reason for not allowing a child to take part in physical + dangerous work

27
Q

What are the 6 theoretical approaches in regard to childhood

A
  1. The march of progress view
  2. The conflict view
    a) inequalities among children
    b) inequalities between children and adults
  3. Interpretivist accounts of childhood
  4. The functionalist/New right view
  5. The disappearance of childhood thesis
  6. Post-Modern theories of childhood
28
Q

Explain the march of progress view as a theoretical approach in regard to childhood

A

status of chidren in western societies has improved - Aries argues today children are more valued, better cared for protected and educated, better health + have more rights

Family has become child centred no longer seen not heard like victorian times. Instead are focus point + consulted on many decisions.Parents invest in their children emotionally and financially

29
Q

Explain the main points in the conflict view a) inequalities among children

A

In a less developed nations childhood is experienced very differently - poverty, malnurishment,no education

inequalities between ethnic groups and religious groups - more obligation and duty to their parents in Hindu families for example

inequalities between gender - socialisation

Inequalities in social class - mc more economic + cultural support and WC childhood may be more difficult because of poverty

30
Q

What are the major inequalities between children and adults

A 
neglect and abuse                                                      
control over children space 
control over time 
control over body 
control over access to resources
31
Q

Explain neglect and abuse as a major inequality between adults and children

A

NSPCC - each weak at least one child dies as a result of adults cruelty and 30,000 children are on child protection registers because they are at risk of abuse
20,000 calls a year saying they have been sexually or physically assaulted

32
Q

Explain control over children space as a major inequality between adults and children using a study

A

Children movements are subjected to control from schools and parents and parents fear of road safety and stranger danger mean children spend more time at home

Hillman (1071) 80% of 7-8 year olds were allowed to got o school without adult supervision compared to 9% in 1990

33
Q

Explain control over control over time as a major inequality between adults and children using a study

A

adults control their child daily routine (what time they eat) and control the speed they grow up, it is they who decide whether they are old enough or grown up enough to do an activity

34
Q

Explain control over children bodies as a major inequality between adults and children using a study

A

adults control how they sit,walk,run,dress,hairstyles and whether or not they can have their ears pierced and it is taken for granted how there bodies can be touched e.g. washed, held, kissed, disciplined,hands held and picked up. However adults may restrict the children on how they tough themselves for example not being aloud to suck their thumb for example

35
Q

Explain control over children’s access to resources as a major inequality between adults and children using a study

A

children may only have limited opportunities to earn money and remain economically dependent and pocket money s dependent on good behaviour and even then there may be restrictions on what they can spend it on

36
Q

What did Hockey and James (1993) identify and conclude

A

2 strategies adopted by children which indicate that they may experience childhood as oppressive:

they act up
they act down

they conclude that modern childhood is a status most children want to escape

37
Q

Explain when children act up

A

they act like adults by doing things that children are not supposed to do such as swearing and drinking

38
Q

Explain when children act down

A

They behave in ways expected of younger children in order to resist adult control such as talking in baby language or insisting on being carried

39
Q

Explain the interpretivist account of childhood

A

children have their own interpretation of family life which they actively employ in interactions with their parents as unlike the functionalist/new the relationship between parents and children is a 2 way process

40
Q

Which researchers look at the interpretivist account of childhood

A

Morrow (1998)

Mayall (2004)

41
Q

What did Morrow (1998) find

A

children can be constructive + reflective contributors to family life and most children had a pragmatic view of their family role - they did not want to make decision themselves but did want to have a say in what happened to them.
Children are able to create their own definition of who is family which can be based upon personal choice e.g. friends (Auntie Sarah)

42
Q

Explain the function/new right view as a theoretical approach to childhood

A

childhood is under threat by divorce, homosexuality and mothers going to work etc and children need to be protected from them

homosexuality - successful child rearing require 2 parents of the opposites sex and that there is a right way to raise a child

blame single mothers/inadequate parents/ absent fathers for social problems such as delinquency

43
Q

Who looked at the disappearance of childhood

A

Postman (1982)

Phillips (1997)

44
Q

Explain how Postman (1982) sees childhood

A

disappearing at a dazzling speed and points a trend towards children being given the same rights as adults, similarity of adult and child clothing and commiting adult crimes

45
Q

What does postman argue

A

tv = most - effect as it blurs the distinction between childhood and adulthood as it makes information about sex, money,violence available and so does the internet with images and info they were perviously shelter from.
This breaks down the boundary between adults and children and so reducing adult authority. The ignorance + innocence s replaced by knowledge and cynicism

46
Q

What do critic say about postman argument

A

cause him of exaggerating the degree to which children were shelled from adult life and sexuality in past eras and over emphasises tv at the expense of raising living standards and changes in law

47
Q

Who supports the critics of postman

A

Pilcher who argues 19th century Factory acts with banned children from working in factories, mines and mills were more influential in separating children from adults than tv for example

48
Q

What does Phillips argue

A

the culture of parenting in the UK has broken downed the innocence of childhood has been undermined by two trends

49
Q

What are the 2 trends Phillips identified

A

liberal ideas which given to many rights and powers to children

the media and the peer group have been more influential than childhood

50
Q

Explain liberal ideas which given to many rights and powers to children as one of Phillips trends which have undermined the innocence of childhood

A

parenting has been distorted by liberal ideas which given to many rights and powers to children and parents have been increasingly criticised and penalised for resorting to sanctions such as smacking

51
Q

Explain the media and the peer group have been more influential than childhood as one of Phillips trends which have undermined the innocence of childhood

A

media aimed at young girls, tv and pop music videos are a problem as they encourage them to sexualise themselves at a young age and so childhood is shortened.
Many children do not have the emotional maturity to cope with the rights and choices they have and so leading to an increase of social problems such as suicide,eating disorders, depression and drug and alcohol abuse for example

52
Q

Who looks at the toxic childhood (2007)

A

Sue Palmer

53
Q

What trends does Sue Palmer explain

A

adults are benefiting from tech - enriching their lives however the same tech is harming kids as parents are using them instead of alternative practices such as instead of reading them a book they are just putting them infant of the tv to keep them quiet and so are deprived from a traditional childhood

54
Q

What 2 sociological concerns have arisen from Sue Palmers trends

A

Pester power

peer pressure

55
Q

Explain pester power through a study

A

Pugh (2002) suggests that parents who are rich but time poor alleviate their guilt about not spending time with their kids by buying them whatever consumer goods they desire

56
Q

Explain Evans and Chandler (2006) “peer pressure” as a sociological concern which have arisen from sue palmers trends

A

peer pressure was an important rationale for consumption in that they are feared of being bullied by other children for not wearing clothing or labels approved by their peers - WC families felt this pressure the most

57
Q

Who looks at post modern theories of childhood

A

Jencks

58
Q

What does Jencks argue

A

identies have become destabilised so no-one has a grounded sense of who they are
the parent-child bond has become the most important relationship which intensifies the sense that kids need to be protected and helps explain the growing anxiety about child abuse. Children become subject to increased surveillance because parents are more fearful for their children and determined to protect them

59
Q

Explain Jencks argument

A

class solidarity has broken down and family life is insecure with frequent divorce In these circumstances children have become the most important source of primary relationships - the most fulfilling and unconditional relationships - wives and husbands have become disposable but not children

60
Q

What conclusions can be brought in childhood

A

Childhood may be disappearing because of falling birth and death rates - these produce an ageing population

children are no longer leaving home because of unemployment and high house rices and so the length of Childs dependency on parents is likely to increase

Sociology (11 decks)

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