Childhood in Post-modernity

• Jenks

  He believes childhood is not disappearing but changing. He agrees with Aries that childhood was a creation of modern society as the undeveloped child needed to be nurtured, protected and controlled. Jenks argues childhood is undergoing change as society moves to a postmodern one.
• Postmodern society

  In a postmodern society, the pace of change speeds up and relationships become more unstable e.g. divorce becomes more common. This generates feelings of insecurity and adults become more fearful for their child's safety. This strengthens the view that children are in need of protection and it results in greater surveillance.
• Evaluation

  There is limited evidence to suggest parents see their relationship with their children as more important than their partners. Parents are very concerned about the risks their children face. However, evidence comes from small, unrepresentative samples.
• Evaluation

  Jenks is guilty of overgeneralising. Despite greater diversity of family and childhood patterns found today, he makes sweeping statements that imply all children are in the same position.
• New sociology of childhood - Personal life

  Mayall - Childhood is socially constructed and shaped by social processes. It helps us understand childhood overtime, there is a danger of seeing children as merely passive objects who have no part in making their own childhood.
• Sociology of childhood

  This new sociology of childhood sees children as active agents, who play a major part in creating their own childhoods.
• Smart

  This new approach aims to include the views and experiences of children themselves. Studies like this use research methods such as informal, unstructured interviews, which empower children to express their own views and allow researchers to see the world from the child's point of view. It draws attention to the fact, children often lack power in relation to adults.
• Mason and Tipper

  They show that children actively create their own definitions of who is family.
• Smart

  In a study of divorce, they found that, far from passive victims, children were actively involved in trying to make the situation better for everyone.