Family: Childhood

Question 1

What did Philip Aries, 1973, suggest about childhood?

Answer 1

He argued that childhood is a social construction that didn’t exist in the 10th - 15th century.

Question 2

What research did Philip Aries, 1973, conduct? What did he find?

Answer 2

He studied paintings from the 10th - 15th centuries.
He found that children were depicted as ‘mini adults’. They were dressed the same and were partaking in the same practices as the adults.

Question 3

What are some evaluation points for Philip Aries’ research?

Answer 3

• The paintings were ethnocentric - thus not generalisable to other ethnic groups.
• Only upper class children were painted.
• We were not able to really witness it for real.

Question 4

What Act was passed in 1853, affecting child employment? What did it do?

Answer 4

1853 Factory Act:
Prohibited any child under the age of 9 to work in a factory and if 9+ children worked there they were on restricted hours.

Question 5

What Act was passed in 1880, affecting child education? What did it do? What was the furthering consequence?

Answer 5

Education Act, 1880:
Children had to be in school until the age of 10.
This made them dependant on the parents. This brought on the notion of childhood.

Question 6

In what ways are we child-centered?

Answer 6

• We have child oriented holidays and days out

- Parents are more likely to take interest in their activities and discussing decisions with them.

Question 7

What has happened to the amount of time parents spend with their children?

Answer 7

It has doubled since the 1960’s.

Question 8

Why are we now child-centered?

Answer 8

• Health research.
• Smaller families means more attention.
• Working week has decreased, parents can spend more time on with their children.
• State can help child raising.
• Children can now be taken away from unfit parents, through social workers.

Question 9

Childhood is a … ideology:

Answer 9

Western.

Question 10

Have children always been thought of as children?

Answer 10

No, they were once seen as economic resources,.

Question 11

How has family structure changed since the Victorian times?

Answer 11

Family structure was extended but is now more nuclear.

Question 12

What percentage of children were in poverty in 2012-13?

Answer 12

27%

Question 13

What percentage of children were young careers in in 1996-7? Compared with 2015-17?

Answer 13

29% in 1996-7.

38% in 2015-17.

Question 14

Which sociologists argued that, particularly Asian, girls have more of a restricted childhood than boys?

Answer 14

Brannen, 1994, and Bhatti, 1999.

Question 15

What did Margo et al argue about social attitudes and income?

Answer 15

• Richer parents can afford to: purchase educational toys, attend educational activities and provide educational activities for others.
• Poorer children are more likely to be able to socialise as they spend less time with educational toys. However this has less educational benefits.

Question 16

What is the argument for the restrictive laws put on children, e.g. the voting age?

Answer 16

• That they protect children’s health and safety.
• They protect children from engaging in activities they may not be mature or responsible enough to participate in e.g. age of consent.

Question 17

How many children under 16 run away from home eahc year?

Answer 17

84,000.

Question 18

What did Rees, 2011, estimate?

Answer 18

That 9% of 14-16 year old children run away each year for at least one night.

Question 19

What does the Womack, 2011, research conclude?

Answer 19

That UK children are the unhappiest in the West.

Question 20

According to UNICEF, what are UK children more likely to do specifically and overall?

Answer 20

• Be prone to physical and mental health.
• Failure at school.
• Poorest relationships with parents and friends.
• Suffer greater deprivation.
• Be more likely to partake in risk taking behaviour.

Question 21

How many children a year enter the criminal justice system?

Answer 21

75,000.

Question 22

How many crime have suspects of under 10 years old?

Answer 22

Around 3,000, including sex offences and arson.

Question 23

What does Postman suggest about Childhood?

Answer 23

• That the concept is disappearing.
• There is a merging style and tastes of children and adults e.g. childrens clothes that look like mini adult clothes.
• Their behaviours, attitudes and language are merging.

Question 24

What is the information hierarchy? Which theorist developed it?

Answer 24

Postman argues that TV, media and the internet have blurred the line between distinct childhood which was once seen as an innocent time to adulthood where children can now access once inaccessible things like sex and violence. They were once inaccessible, as in the 19th mass literacy created the divide between who cannot read - children and people who can read - adults, as a result adults could keep these things secret.

Question 25

What does Jenks, 2005, argue about the concept of childhood?

Answer 25

He disagrees with Postman’s point of the disappearance of childhood. He argues it is changing.
He agrees with Aries notion of the conception of childhood.

Question 26

What AO3 point could you use for Jenks, 2005?

Answer 26

There is limited support for his theory. It is seemed to be overgeneralised.

Question 27

What did a Cambridge study find out about children’s changing attitudes?

Answer 27

They found that children were becoming increasingly aware of adult themes in the media e.g. climate change and terrorism.

Question 28

What did Cunningham, 2005, suggest about pocket money?

Answer 28

Says this is an area in which parent authority can be undermined as children can make their own decisions on how to spend this money.

Question 29

What did Margo et al argue about child consumers?

Answer 29

States that children are consumers because of the amount of advertising that is directed that them and therefore they are entering the adult world earlier.

Question 30

What did Sue Palmer, 2007-2010, argue about modern day childhood? What term did she develop?

Answer 30

Toxic childhood:
Argues rapid technological advancements and cultural developments (e.g. junk food, video games) have damaged children’s emotional, physical and mental well-being.

Question 31

Across the globe, how many children are forced into child labour?

Answer 31

152 million.

Question 32

How many children suicide bombers have been recorded in the Chad basin?

Answer 32

203.

Question 33

What percentage of children make up all detected trafficking cases?

Answer 33

28%.