Future of childhood

• Toxic childhood thesis (Palmer)-

  -Childhood has become damaging to the physical, psychological and emotional wealth of young people. This trend is a result of unhealthy food, a lack of play in natural surroundings, poor sleep patterns and a decline in emotional security
• Toxic childhood thesis (Palmer) Evaluation-

  -Ethnocentric- only looks at western ideas of childhood and can't be applied to developing nations

  -This isn't a new phenomena but we now have better understanding of mental health and wellbeing so it appears to be more toxic

  -More information availability has made the dangers more well known which has led to more paranoid parenting
• Disappearing childhood thesis (Postman)-

  -Childhood as we know it is disappearing at a rapid rate due to the collapse of the information hierarchy.

  -Evidence- growth in technology gives children more access to information, same rights as adults, blurring of adult and child culture.
• Disappearing childhood thesis (Postman) Evaluation-

  -Opie- childhood isn't disappearing but changing, there's still evidence of a separate children's culture.

  -Reductionist- places the cause on the rise of TV.
• Universal childhood (West)-

  -Western notion of childhood is spreading around the world.

  -Evidence- campaigns for universal education, charities focused on helping street children and preventing childhood labour.
• New sociology of childhood-

  -Current studies have rarely included children in their data collection.

  -Mayall- children as socialisation projects

  -Smart- need to include the children in the study of childhood

  -Mayall- focus on the present tense of childhood from a childs perspective. Children are active agents playing a major part in creating their own childhood, the use of interviews would allow them to express their views