Childhood

Todays society say childhood is a special time of life and children are fundamentally different to adults. They are physically and psychologically immature&not yet competant to run their own lives. Children's lack of skills, knowledge and experiece means they need a lengthy, protected period of nurtering and socialisation before they are ready for adult society and its responsibilities.

Pilcher-most important feature of modern childhood is separatness:childhood seen as clear and distinct life stage, &children in our society occupy a seperate status from adults. Separatness shown through differences between dress, products and services.

Childhood is 'golden age' but comes with the idea that children are vulnerable and in need of protection from adult world and need to be separated from it. 

Wagg-childhood is socially constructed: what members of particular societies, at a particular time in a particular place. No single universal childhood, experienced by all. So childhood isnt "natural" and should be distinguished from mere biologial immaturity.

This means that, while all humans go through same stages of physical development, different cultures construuct or define this process differently.

In western cultures today, children are defined as vulnerable and unable to fend for themselves. However, other cultures do not necessarliy see such a difference between children and adults

Benedict- children in simpler, non-industrial societies are generally threated differently from their modern western counterparts in 3 ways:

• Take responsiblity at an early age- Punch- childhood study in rural Bolivia that, once children are about 5, they are expected to take work responsibilies in the home and community. Tasks are taken on without question or hesitation. Holmes- study on Samoan village found 'too young' was never given as a reason to not do something: e.g. handling dangerous tools or heavy loads, if a child thinks they can do it, parents dont object
• Less value is placed on children showing obedience to adult authority- Firth- among Tikopia of western Pacific, doing as you are told by a grown-up is regarded as a concession to be granted by child, not a right expected by adult
• Children's sexual is often viewed differently- among Trobriand Islanders, Malinowski found the adults took an attitude of 'tolerance and amused interest' towards child's sexual exploaration and activites.

Benedict- non-industrial cultures, there is much less of a dividing line behaviour expected of children and that expected of adults. Such evidence illustrates the key idea that childhood is not a fixed thing foud in universally in the same form in all human societies, but socially constructed.