Childhood
- Created by: eleanorjones97
- Created on: 02-05-15 14:54
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- Childhood
- Childhood as a social construct
- Sociologists see childhood not as a 'natural' category but socially constructed.
- Cross-cultural diffrences in childhood
- BENEDICT (1934) - argues that children in simpler non-industrial societies are treated differently from their modern counterparts
- More responsibility at home and work
- Less value is placed on obiedence
- childrens sexual behaviour is viewed diffrently
- BENEDICT (1934) - argues that children in simpler non-industrial societies are treated differently from their modern counterparts
- Childhood in the west
- Childhood is seen as a special, innocent time of life
- Children are seen s fundamentally different from adults
- Childhood is a distinct life stage - According to PILCHER (1995), the key feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness
- According to CUNNINGHAM (2007), children are seen as the opposite of adults, with the right to happeinnes
- Historical difference in childhood
- ARIES (1960) - the idea of childhood does not exist
- Children were not seen as having a diffrent nature from adults
- he studies paintings only in europe
- Work can begin from an early age
- Children were mini adults with the same rights, duties and skills as adults
- SHORTER (1975) parental attitudes towards children were very diffrent
- High child death rates encouraged indifference and neglect, especially towards infants
- The modern notion of childhood began to emerge in the 13th century
- School began to specialise only in education of the young
- Church saw children as fragile
- Increasing gap between adult and childrens clothing
- Aries argues that this is resulted in the emergence of the modern 'cult of childhood
- Why has the position changed?
- Lower infant mortality rates and smaller families
- Specialist knowledge about children health
- Laws banning child labour
- Compulsory schooling
- Child protection and welfare laws
- The idea of children rights
- Laws about social behaviour
- ARIES (1960) - the idea of childhood does not exist
- Has the position of children improved
- The march of progress View
- ARIES, SHORTER and others argue that the position of childhood has been steadily improving and today it is better than it ha been in the past
- Family has become child centered...:
- Children have better care for ecuactional, psychological and medical needs
- Infant mortality rate has significantly fallen
- Higher living standards and smaller families so can afford to provide for a child's needs
- Children are protected from harm and exploitation
- Family has become child centered...:
- THE CONFLICT VIEW : Marxists and feminists argue that the march of progress view is an over generated and idealised image
- Inequalities between children
- Gender diffrences
- Ethnic diffrences
- Class innequalities
- Inequalities between children
- ARIES, SHORTER and others argue that the position of childhood has been steadily improving and today it is better than it ha been in the past
- Age Patriarchy
- GITTINS (1998) argues that there is an age patriachy of adult domination that keeps children subordinate - adults excersise control over children
- Ressistant children may try not to have the status of a chlild by acting older for example smoking
- Hockey and James (1993) would say this shows modern childhood is a status most children wast to escape
- The march of progress View
- The future of childhood
- POSTMAN (1994) argues that childhood as we know is dissapearing
- Gaining similar rights
- Acting in similar ways.
- Postman believes this is a result of television culture replacing print culture
- The print culture - children lacked the literacy skills needed to access this information so there were many things parents knew about that children dont
- Television Culture - makes information available to adults and children alike so children are able to get a lot more.
- HOWEVER - OPIE (1994) believes childhood is not disparaging as the childhood culture continues to exist just in the forms of games, songs and jokes.
- Toxic Childhood
- PALMER argues that rapid technological and cultural changes are damaging children development. as a result children are being deprived of a genuine childhood
- Change or continuing?
- Some aspects of childhood may be disappearing or changing, others may be continuing. depends on...
- Childrens rights
- length of time spent in education
- Childrens access to communication
- growing similarities between children and adults
- adult concerns about children's behavior, discipline and exposure to media
- Some aspects of childhood may be disappearing or changing, others may be continuing. depends on...
- POSTMAN (1994) argues that childhood as we know is dissapearing
- Childhood as a social construct
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