Topic 2 - Childhood Flashcards
What is culture?
A shared group of norms, values and beliefs.
What is Childhood?
A social construct that is created and defined by society, changed over time by place and culture.
What is the Modern Western view?
Getting ready for adult society and preparing them for life.
What did Pilcher (1995) note?
Childhood is a distinct life stage from adulthood, separated by laws, dress, toys and books.
What did Benedict (1934) say?
- Simple nonindustrial societies
- Children take responsibility at a young age, rural communities
- Adult authority and less value placed on obedience
- Children sexual behavior seen differently in different cultures.
(OLD study so its easy to critize)
What did Aries (1960) argue?
That in the middle ages children were seen as little adults, with same type of punishment.
That from 13th century and on children gained own rights e.g clothes and education.
What did Pollock (1993) say?
Argued that childhood exists in the middle ages, that there was just a different view of it.
What did Postman (1994) argue?
He argued that childhood is disappearing, by giving children the same rights as adults.
- Children+Adults having similar clothes etc
- Children committing adult crimes
- Argues that TV Culture and its accessibility has changed this as all have same knowledge.
What did Opie (1993) argue?
Argues childhood is not disappearing and there are separate child and adult cultures.
What did Jenks (2005) argue?
That changing and the focus of preparing children for future life.
What is discussed about with adult child relationships in post modern society?
That adults have fast past life’s in post modernity fast paced unstable lives adult look to children for security and stability and fear for physical safety.
What did Palmer (2010) argue about Toxic Childhood?
Argues that rapid technological change has brought toxic childhood e.g junk foods, computer and constant testing.
What were some conflicting views about changing childhood?
Marxists and Feminists argue that there is a conflict between classes and genders.
They argue that modern childhood is an idealized view and inequalities.
Inequalities in opportunity for some children is based on background and social class.
What did Firestone (1979) argue?
Argue that protection from paid work segregates and controls children e.g compulsory education to the age of 18.
What did Bonke (1999) argue about inequalities in childhood?
Noted that girls do more domestic labor in lone parent families
