Exam Question - Miss Hills

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Applying material from Item B and your knowledge, evaluate sociological explanations of changes in the experience of childhood in the last 50 years or so. (20)

Item B: The ‘march of progress’ view argues that the experience of childhood in Western societies has improved in the last 50 years or so. In particular, families have become child centered. However, other sociologists point to many negative aspects of childhood today, such as increased child obesity.

March of progress sociologists say that childhood has changed dramatically because children have become more valued, protected and educated (families have become more child centred). Due to the creation of some laws, children have become more protected, cared for and treated differently to adults. However it could be argued that childhood has not improved because inequalities still exist e.g. there are situations where children do suffer under the control and oppression of adults, which can often take extreme forms of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. 

In medieval times, childhood was very different to what it is today. Children were treated like adults. A sociologist called Neil Postman argues that there was nothing to separate in being a child and being an adult. Also, the high infant mortality rate meant that there was no emotional attachment between parents and their children. Children were seen as a burden…

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