Sociology: Childhood (1.2)

Social construction is something that society has created. Child hood is different in different times and places.

JANE PILCHER: MODERN NOTION OF CHILDHOOD

This means that children are physchologically/mentally inferior to adults.

• Children have seperate status from adults through...
• laws, dress code and toys.
• They are in a golden age, happy and innocent.

STEPHEN WAGG: SOCIETY IS SOCIAL CONSTRUCTED, NOT UNIVERSAL.

• Different cultures see childhood differently.
• CROSS-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES.
• Childhood is different in different times and places.

RUTH BENEDICT

RUTH BENEDICT: NON-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY DIFFERENCES:

• BOLIVIA - Responsible at an early age.
• WEST PACIFIC - Obedience to adult authority isn't important.
• SOUTH WEST PACIFIC - Child sex behaviour is seen differently.

PHILLIPE ARIES: HISTORICAL DIFFERENCES:

• Childhood differed from time to time.
• No childhood in middle ages, same as adults.
• Shot life expectancy meant they worked at an early age.
• After 13th C institutions like school were created by society.

POSITION OF CHILDREN HAS CHANGED:

• Laws: Against child labour, paid work means they are not economic assets.
• Compulsary school 1880: increased dependency age.
• Child protection/welfare legislation 1890: Prevented cruelty.
• UN Convention act: entitled to education
• Small families and low death rates: qualtiy care for child.

ARIES AND SHORTER:

• Children are more valued and cared for like laws against harm.
• Infant mortality rate has fell from 154/1000 in 1900, to 4/1000 now.
• Smaller families mean more child centredness, more media, leisure activities for them.

UNICEF:

• UK 16th/29th for children's well being.

UK Youth:

• UK is above average on child obesity, drugs, alcohol, sex, etc.

NEGLECT AND ABUSE: CHILDLINE/CHILD PROTECTION:

• 2013, 43,000 in child protection.
• Childline, 23,000 calls by children

SPACE:

• 1971, 86% walked alone from primary school now it's 25% because of stranger danger.

CHILD LIBERATIONISTS:

INEQUALITIES IN CHILDREN

• 90% of Low birth weight is in MEDCs.
• HILLMAN: Boys are more trusted than girls, e.g. crossing road.
• BONKE: Girls 5x more likely to do Housework.

FIRESTONE AND HOLT: INEQUALITIES IN ADULTS:

• Care and protection is oppression.
• Banning child labour makes them more dependent.
  
• Control their body
• Parent's control their routines of eating, clothing, how to spend etc.

GITTENS: PATRIARCHY HARMING CHILDREN:

• They're economically dependent and authority is shown by violence.

HOCKEY AND JAMES: ACTING DOWN/UP:

• May act up, swear, take alcohol.
• May act down, resist adult control.

Child's rights are increasing, in future there may not be a childhood or adulthood.

NIEL POSTMAN: CHILDHOOD DISAPPEARING:

• Getting same rights as adults.
• Print and TV culture.
• Print culture gave adults power, not TV cultures blurs both adult and childhood, destroys hierarchy.
• TV and Print culture was a social construction.

OPIE: NO, IT'S NOT DISAPPEARING.

• Children games, rhymes, songs, toys still exist.

SUE PALMER: TOXIC CHILDHOOD:

• UK is toxic for childhood
• Radical techonology changes of past 25 years have damaged children emotionally/mentally.
• Involves junk food, video games, tests in education and entertainment.