Social change on the position of children

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  • Created by: Joanaar
  • Created on: 18-03-21 11:05
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  • Effects of social change on the position of children
    • Law changes mid 19 century
      • Child labour illegal, education compulsory
        • Marxists would argue that child labour laws force children to be more dependent on adults than ever
        • Marxists would argue that this gives adults more control over their children’s space, time, bodies and access to resources and this this can lead to neglect and abuse
        • Campaigners were concerned about juvenile delinquency, beggars and prostitution.
      • infant mortality rate dropping
        • improved sanitation, health care, and the ease of availability or obtaining healthy food
      • Children are more valued, cared for, protected and educated due to the introduction of various laws.
    • March of progress
      • Aries and Shorter
        • say that the changes in society have improved children’s provision and the family is more ‘child-centered’
          • play areas, child orientated holidays, TV channels, toys etc
        • Aries and Shorter argue that children are more protected through laws and better cared for through specially trained professionals, pediatric doctors, child psychiatrists
      • However, Marxists and feminists disagree
        • They point out that gender, ethnicity and call all impact on a child’s experience.
          • poor mothers are more likely to produce underweight and unhealthy babies
        • genders are assigned different roles providing them with different, often unequal opportunities.
          • e.g. females are more likely to perform domestic labour than males
      • Child liberationists disagree
        • Firestone and Holt
          • argue that children are oppressed by adults who turn their control and dominance into a weapon.
            • Adults have full control over the freedom of children, particularly parents
              • e.g. children can no longer work therefore they have become economically dependent on their parents.
                • child’s resources are limited to what their parents can offer them
    • Neil Postman
      • Are children, really children for that long?
        • childhood is being affected by adulthood
        • young girls can be seen wearing short skirts and heels
        • increasing amount of children committing adult crimes such as murder
          • TV and games which is exposing children to violence and influencing their actions
    • Palmer
      • argued that technological and cultural changes have damaged children physically, emotionally and intellectually.
  • Summary:
    • FOR
      • child labour laws, compulsory education and the fall in infant mortality rate
        • March of progress, Aries and Shorter
    • AGAINST
      • child hood is socially constructed
        • Neil postman, Palmer, Firestone and Holt, Feminists, Marxists
  • Philippe Aries argued the concept of childhood did not exist in medieval Europe.
    • the way children were depicted in paintings of the time.
    • Aries claimed that soon after the children were weaned, they were regarded as little adults and treated as such
  • Shorter- high IMR- children as disposible

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