Childhood

Sociologists would argue that the identity and status of chhildren, and childhood as a sperate phase of life, has been created by society and social attitudes. So childhood is therfore a social construction 

Evidence for this 

• the differing status, responsbilites and treatment of children in different contemporary cultures. 
• the way the view of children has changed overr histort and is still changing today
• the difference in children from the same society 

 The freedom from adult responsibilites expericed by children in many western societies is not foun in all societies. In many societes the prolonged period of childhood and adolescence before the tansistion to adulthood does not exist and children take on responsibilty as soon as physically able. the ILO suggests 1 in 7 children in the world work. with 215 million children in sub saharan, africa. Between 2004 and 2007 child soilders were involved in active conflict in 21 countries. 

Philippe Aries showed that in medieval times, childhood did not exist as a seperate status. Children moven straight fron infancy to working roles in the community. children were see as 'little adults.' Children did not lead seperate lives, and mixed with adults. none of the things assocared with childhood today were back then e.g toys, games, books, music and special clothes  Unitil the mid ninteenth century child labour was commonly practiced. In the early part of 19th century many factory workers were children. Children frequnently faced th same legal punishements as adults.

In the later 19th century the father and husband was the head of the family unit, children generally had low status in the family. Industriilazition meant that work moved from outside the family home. restrictions on child labour were put into place for their protection and children began to be seen as more innocent and vunrable.

Inequalities in social class, ethnicity and gender mean not all children have the same childhood experience. arouf 27% of people in the UK are living in poverty, and girls will particualry have more of a restricted childhood then boys. Richer parents are able to pay for their children to participate in clubs, and extra curriculum activited tha can enhacne their childs learning However poorer children might spend more time with their friends playing therefore enhancing their social devlopment. 

causes 

• families have got smaller which means there is more care and attention on each individual child 
• The typical working hours have been reduced which means there is more time to spend with children 
• Higher wages means more money can be spent on children 
• The welfare state provides a wide range  of benefits designed to help parents care for their children. 
• peadiatrics and the medical science of children has developed rapidly since the 20th century, along with a wide range of research showing the best ways to help your childs development. 
• compulsary education and higher education means children are dependent on their paretns for longer periods of time 
• Parental fears - stranger danger, traffic, accidents and ubduction mean the children now travel around more with their parents rather then being left along 

Child centerdness does not meand children are equal to adults. 

legal controls over children 

many laws preventing children from doing certain certain things mainly arise from a desire to protect their safety. 

• driving a car - 17
• vote - 18
• having sex - 16 
• alcohol - 18
• film restrictions - 12,15,18

unhappy children 

according to unicef children growing up in the uk are more prone to bad physical, mental health, failing school anmd have the most risks for alcohol, drugs and unsafe sex then those in anyother healthy european counrty. Such evidence suggests that family life in briatin may not be a happy one and theri dependency on adults mean the have few opportunites to escape unhappy families. 

child abuse 

a repot in 2011 by the NSPCC found that around one in five children had beem maltreated during childhood. In 2005 the most comprehensive survey ever of teenagers and domestic abuse, conducted bt the magazine suger found the 1/5th of teenageers were git by their parents, 1/4 of them regularly. 

sibling abuse

abuse can also occur between brothers and sisters. Sibling abuse may involve emotional, physical and sexually agressive behaviour. Womack's longitudinal study found 31% of young people said they were hit, kicked, or pushed by their sibling a lot or quite a lot.