Topic 2 - Childhood Flashcards
What is the western notion of childhood according to Pilcher?
childhood as a social construct
The most important feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness
Childhood is a clear, distinct, stage of life
Children occupy a separate status from adults
Eg; laws regulating what children are allowed, required and forbidden to
What does Wagg say about childhood?
‘Childhood is socially constructed, it is what members of particular societies, at particular places, say it is, there is no universal childhood experienced by all’
What did Aries find about historical differences in childhood?
childhood as a social contruct
- Childhood did not exist
- Children were not seen as having different needs from adults - at least once they passed the stage of physical dependecy
How have modern notions of childhood emerged from the 13th century onwards according to Aries?
childhood as a social construct
- Schools - came to specialise purely in the education of the young, which is reflected through the influence of the church which saw children as fragile and in need of protection
What does Postman say about the disappearance of childhood?
the future of childhood
- ‘Disappearing at a dazzling speed’
- Points to the trend towards giving children the same rights as adults
- Disappearance of children’s traditional, unsupervised games
- Increase in children committing ‘adult’ crimes such as murder
2 reasons for the changing position of children
the future of childhood
- Children are no longer economic assets who could earn a wage - now an economic liability, financially dependent on their parents
- Introduction of compulsory schooling in 1880 - raising of school leaving age extended parental dependency
How does Opie criticse Postman?
the future of childhood
- Not disappearing
- Research into childrens unsupervised games shows theres strong evidence of a seperate children’s culture over many years
What did Jenks say about childhood changing?
the future of childhood
Childhood in postmondernity is changing - adult’s relationships go from stable to fast paced and unstable - leading to children being supervised even more as adults will focus on their children as the one thing in their lives that is still certain
What do Aries and Shorter argue about children today?
has children’s position improved?
Children today are more valued, better cared for, educated and have more healthcare/rights than previous generations
Eg; today’s children are protected from laws against child abuse and labour
What did Hillman and Bonke find about inequalities among children?
has children’s position improved?
Hillman - still gender differences, boys are more likely to be allowed out after dark alone, cycle on roads
Bonke - girls do more domestic labour, 5x more than boys if they’re in lone-parent families
What did Firestone find about inequalities among children and adults?
has children’s position improved?
Things march of progress see as care/protection are just a way of controlling and oppressing childre, like exluding them from paid wokr
What does Palmer say about toxic childhood?
has children’s position improved?
Children today are experiencing toxic childhood, where rapidly improving tech and cultural changes have damaged their physical/emotional/intellectual development
Changes such as - junk food, drugs/alcohol abuse, pregnancy
