Contemporary Perspectives on Childhood

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  • Created by: Ben
  • Created on: 12-05-13 15:46
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  • Contemporary perspectives of childhood
    • Postman: the disappearance of childhood
      • Childhood is no longer a distinctive stage in the life course.
      • The growth of mass media has exposed children to adult world.
        • Sex, suffering and death.
      • Difference between adulthood and childhood has blurred.
        • Children dressing more like adults.
        • Adults trying to act more youthful.
        • Lack of clear cut transition between childhood and adulthood
    • Children as consumers
      • Children seen as economic assets (Marxist)
      • Evans and Chandler - children persuade parents to buy more designer goods.
    • Jenks - the continuing distinctiveness of childhood
      • Increased concern over the loss of innocence of children.
      • Children are still restricted to what they can and cannot do (UK legal ages)
      • Childhood is not as yet disappearing.
    • The conventional approach to childhood
      • Functionalist and New Right
      • They see children as a vulnerable group who need protecting from the dangers of adulthood.
      • Phillips - Liberal ideas of parenting have given children too many rights, and children have lost their innocence due to peer pressure and mass media.
    • Mayall - new sociology of children
      • Children are adultist - biased in favour of adults at the expense of children.
      • Children's rights???

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