What do sociologists think of the position of children?

Question 1

Aries and Shorter (March of Progress view)

Answer 1

• children today are better cared for, protected, and educated, enjoy better health and have more rights

Question 2

Firestone and Holt (Conflict view)

Answer 2

• many of the things functionalists see positively ie. as the care and protection of children are new forms of oppression and control

Question 3

Gittens (Age patriarchy)

Answer 3

• the view that children may experience childhood as oppressive comes from the strategies that children use to resist the status of a child and the restrictions that go with it

Question 4

Hockey and James (Age patriarchy)

Answer 4

• describe the two strategies that children use to resist the status of a child: acting up and acting down

Question 5

Palmer

Answer 5

• children today are experiencing ‘toxic childhood’

Question 6

Margo and Dixon

Answer 6

• UK youth are at the top (or near top) of the international league table for obesity, self-harm, drug and alcohol abuse, violence, early sexual experience and teenage pregnancy