Family: Childhood

Question 1

What is meant by childhood?

Answer 1

Childhood is a social construct something created and define by society

Question 2

What are cross cultural differences in childhood?

Answer 2

Benedict argues children in simpler non industrial societies are treated different from modern western society in two ways

Take responsibility at an early age
Less value is placed on children showing obedience to authority

Question 3

How many western Norms of children are there?

Answer 3

7

Question 4

What are the western norms of children?

Answer 4

A separate life stage
Innocence
Dependent
Vulnerable 
No economic role
In school
In a nuclear family

Question 5

What was childhood in the Middle Ages like

Answer 5

Aries said that in the Middle Ages
childhood did not exist,
after being weaned the child was expected to enter wider society on the same terms as mini adults.
Parental attitudes were also shortened. High death and rate encouraged neglect and indifference.

Question 6

When did the modern cult of childhood begin?

Answer 6

13th century

Question 7

Why did the modern cult of childhood emerge

Answer 7

Aries said it reflected
Schools come to specialise in education of the Young reflected by church influences
Growing distinction between clothes
Growing child centred ness

Question 8

How is the position of childhood now

Answer 8

It is better than it was in the past

Question 9

What is happening to childhood

Answer 9

It is disappearing at a dazzling speed

Question 10

Why is childhood disappearing

Answer 10

Postman say children are becoming more like adults because of the rise and fall of print culture and it replacement television culture

Giving children the same rights as adults
Similarity in children and adult styles
Children committing adult crimes

Question 11

What are the three stages of information hierarchy

Answer 11

Middle Ages
Print culture
Television culture

Question 12

What was the Middle Ages information hierarchy

Answer 12

People were illiterate and children were able to enter adult society from an early age childhood wasn’t associated with innocence

Question 13

What was print culture

Answer 13

Children lacked literacy skills needed to access information so adults could keep adult knowledge a secret and so children were associated with innocence

Question 14

What is television culture

Answer 14

It blurs the distinction between childhood and adulthood by destroying the information hierarchy

Question 15

What are Two views towards the position of children

Answer 15

March of progress think it has improved

Conflict view think it hasn’t

Question 16

How many reasons do the March of progress give for the improvement of childhood

Answer 16

8

Question 17

What are the March of progress reasons for improved position of children

Answer 17

Better access to health
Better rights
Better educational opportunity
Removed exploitation, can only work from 14
Statistically they are safer
Leisure is child centred eg swimming/eating out
Families are children centred. 
Laws protect children

Question 18

How many reasons do the conflict view give for why the position hasn’t improved

Answer 18

7

Question 19

What are the reasons the conflict view give for not improvement of position

Answer 19

Technology and cultural changes have damaged people emotional and intellectual development
Caused physical damage such as eating disorders
Caused emotional damage such as cyber bullying
Caused developmental problems for example speaking and social skills
Adult concepts being brought to younger audiences like alcohol
Not all experience childhood the same way because of class, gender and ethnicity
There is still uk child poverty

Question 20

Why do the Conflict view criticise the March of progress

Answer 20

They say it is based on an idealised image of childhood ignoring inequalities between childhood and adults that are greater than ever

Question 21

What is meant by a toxic childhood

Answer 21

Palmer argues argues children face a toxic childhood. Rapid technological growth and cultural change have damaged children physically emotionally and intellectually

Question 22

What are the inequalities between children and adults?

Answer 22

Giddens says there is an age patriarchy - economic dominance - of adult domination and child dependency. There is evidence of oppression in the form of acting up and resist the status of the child

Question 23

What is the personal life perspective

Answer 23

Aims to include the views of children themselves. They suggest that children create their own views of family and who is important to them.