Childhood

• What is the main idea about childhood according to sociologists?

  Childhood is socially constructed by society
• What does it mean that childhood is socially constructed?

  Ideas about childhood are created by society
• What aspects of childhood are influenced by society?

  • Length of childhood and adulthood transition
  • Status of children: rights and responsibilities
  • General perceptions of children: innocence vs. resilience
• How does the Cambridge English dictionary define a child?

  A boy or girl until adulthood
• How does the Oxford English dictionary define a child?

  A young human being below puberty or legal majority
• What do the two definitions of a child illustrate about childhood?

  Childhood can be biologically or socially determined
• At what age does childhood end in Modern Britain?

  At age 18
• How do children transition into adulthood in Britain?

  Gradually through adolescence and legal entitlements
• At what age can children start working in Britain?

  At age 14
• What is the age of sexual consent in Britain?

  At age 16
• At what age can children start driving in Britain?

  At age 17
• Why do sociologists argue that childhood is socially constructed?

  Because society determines when childhood ends
• What are common perceptions of children in Modern Britain?

  • Dependent and naive
  • Innocent and vulnerable
  • In need of protection from adults
• What are the fundamental differences between children and adults?

  1. Children are immature compared to adults
  2. Children depend on adults for needs
  3. Children are not responsible for their actions
• What is a defining characteristic of adulthood?

  Adults are biologically mature and responsible
• How does the perception of childhood differ across cultures?

  It varies across times, places, and cultures
• What does the term 'socially constructed' mean in relation to childhood?

  Childhood is created and defined by society
• What is an example of a child-only space?

  Soft play areas
• What are the child-specific separations in Modern British society?

  1. Child-specific places for children and trusted adults
  2. Laws preventing children from adult activities
  3. Products specifically designed for children
• How does childhood vary in other cultures?

  • Child labour as economic asset
  • Child soldiers in conflict
  • Child marriage practices
  • Religious enslavement practices
• What percentage of children aged 5 to 17 are involved in child labour in least developed countries?

  22%
• What is the percentage of children involved in child labour in Sub-Saharan Africa?

  25%
• What is a common belief about education in less developed countries?

  Children should not be in full-time education until 16
• What is the estimated number of children recruited as child soldiers in 2019?

  Almost 8000 children
• In which regions are child soldiers mainly recruited?

  Western Africa and parts of the Middle East
• What percentage of girls are married by age 15 in least developed countries?

  11%
• What is a common practice regarding child marriage in some cultures?

  Girls may be coerced into marriage
• What is the practice of 'trokosi' in West Africa?

  Girls are enslaved to pay for family sins
• What evidence does Aries provide for his view on childhood?

  Children worked at earlier ages
• What is Philippe Aries' view on childhood as a social construction?

  • Childhood did not exist in the Middle Ages
  • Children were seen as small adults
  • No distinction between children and adults in law
• How did high infant mortality rates affect parental attitudes in the Middle Ages?

  Encouraged indifference and neglect towards infants
• What change in attitudes towards childhood began in the 13th century?

  Modern notions of childhood emerged
• What does Aries argue about the invention of childhood?

  Childhood as we know it is a recent invention
• What is the experience of childhood today considered to be?

  A recent social construct
• What does Cunningham (2006) argue about childhood in the nineteenth century?

  It was socially constructed by adults
• What are the three major characteristics of childhood according to Cunningham?

  Protection, separation from adults, right to happiness
• How were children viewed in relation to adults in the nineteenth century?

  As needing protection and dependent on adults
• What was the societal view on the separation of children and adults?

  Children should be kept separate from adult spaces
• What right was attributed to children in the nineteenth century?

  The right to happiness
• What developments led to a child-centred society in twentieth century Britain?

  • Improved living standards
  • Decline in infant mortality rate
  • Children needed less as economic assets
  • Increased availability of contraception
  • Cultural changes defining childhood separately
  • State involvement in children's welfare