Has The Position Of Children Improved

Question 1

Childhood HAS improved
MARCH OF PROGRESS

Answer 1

•Theory: The position of children has steadily improved over the past few centuries.
•Supporters: Aries and Shorter.
Key Points:
•Better Care: Children are more valued, protected, and educated.
•Laws: Enhanced protection through laws against child abuse and child labor.
•Rights: Children enjoy more rights and better health compared to previous generations.

Question 2

Childhood has improved
Child centred fam

Answer 2

•Concept: Families have become more child-centered.
Key Points:
•Smaller Families: Reduced family size (5.7 births per woman in 1860 to 1.83 in 2014) allows better provision for children.
•Financial Investment: High cost of raising a child, estimated at £227,000 by age 21.
•Focus: Children are the focal point of family life, with parents investing emotionally and financially.
•Society: Increased child-centeredness in media and leisure activities, such as children’s TV and play centers.

Question 3

Childhood has not improved
TOXIC CHILDHOOD

Answer 3

•Concept: ‘Toxic Childhood’ (Palmer, 2006)
•Argument: Rapid technological and cultural changes have harmed children’s development.
•Factors: Junk food, computer games, intensive marketing, long working hours of parents, and high educational testing.
•Behavioral Concerns:
•Margo and Dixon (2006): UK youth high in obesity, self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, early sexual experience, and teenage pregnancies.
•UNICEF 2013: UK ranked 16th out of 29 for children’s well-being, indicating a threat to the protected childhood ideal.