Sociology 1 - childhood Flashcards
Aries - childhood
march of progress
studied paintings
childhood did not exist in the past & children are seen as ‘mini adults’
pictures showed children wearing clothing that represented those worn by parents/ adults
-childhood appears during industrialization = machinery increased + replaced jobs which meant adults needed less children + had less work to do
showed childhood is socially constructed
EV: pollock - childhood existed but as a different notion
what is childhood
modern concept that is age focused + universal
- culturally defined (varies depending on location, time & place) + socially constructed ( created, influenced & maintained by members of society and only exist bcs people define them as such)
pilcher
modern childhood defined through separateness
- argue that there is a clear, distinct life stage separate from adults
postman
disappearance of childhood ‘at a dazzling speed’
-children increasingly exposed to same issues & experiences as adults + are no longer protected
- due to print culture/ breakdown of information hierachy due to media ( parents can no longer control info children have access to) - leads to loss of innocence
gittens
-child liberationist
believe children should be free from parents control
e.g. children are financially dependant on them as they can’t work due to labour laws - went from being economic assets to economic burdens
ways they are controlled:
- restrictions on what they watch
-cannot work, wear makeup, types of clothes, inability to gamble or get tattoos (appearance, behaviour, activities)
EV: ignore that children lack the experience and knowledge of what is best to make rational decisions for themselves.
- children aren’t as powerless as they used to be = now have a voice and rights e.g. consulted during a parents divorce about preference of stay.
jenks
children are continually regulated and restricted by laws which control behaviour in public
- laws preventing children from engaging in activites they are not yet mature enough for e.g. inability to marry or work before 16
contemporary examples of the impact of control
& online safety bill
UNICEF - britains children prone to bad physical + mental health, failure at skl + have poorest relationship w friends & families + are exposed to more risks than other countries
- online safety bill ~ stronger protections 4 children on social media platforms w platforms forced to be clearer w parents about dangers
- imposing companies w the goal of keeping inappropriate + dangerous content away & holding them responsible 4 illegal content such as sexual abuse images + making adult websites enforce age limits properly
child-centered - march of progress
increasing importance & prioritisation of children
families focus on activities and outings in the interest of their children and the amount of time spent w their children has doubled as they become more interested in them
palmer
toxic childhood
- tech + cultural changes e.g. junk food, video games are damaging and changing childhood
-parents are now overworked and so use digital babysitters to keep kids occupied depriving them of a proper childhood
- creates new toxic gen with a range of social + behavioural problems
EV: Opie - childhood not disappearing, evidence of a seperate children’s culture which will continue
-children still v protected today
de mause
childhood has improved for children since the past
- parents invest emotionally and financially into their children’s childhood.
social blurring
line between childhood x adulthood has been blurred by many societies making it hard to define when one ends & the other begins
