Childhood

• Pilcher argues that the modern western view of childhood sees it as a completely separate stage to adulthood. Children are seen as physically and psychologically immature and need protection, nurturing and socialisation. Childhood is a golden age when you have little responsibility and lots of leisure time.
• Pilcher believes society is child centred , there has been a number of laws been introduced to protect children from harm.
• Pitcher can be criticised for overemphasis of the separate stages between childhood and adulthood. There are many areas in life where the distinction between adulthood and childhood is blurred (e.g. many adults enjoy marvel movies, video games etc which are products designed for children)
• Wagg argues the terms ‘child’ and ‘childhood’ is something created and defined by what society you are in and so therefore is a social construct.
• Childhood however is different in other societies. In the western world it is assumed to be protected and privileged, however there are clear differences in other areas of the world. The International Labour Organisation estimates 1 in 7 children in the world have to work - some are active child soldiers in wars. Punch studied children in Bolivia and found children from age 5 were expected to work in the home and local community.
• Aries argues that childhood did not exist in the Middle Ages. As soon as children were no longer physically dependent on their parents (to walk, eat etc) they were now ‘mini adults’.
• Aries‘ evidence of mini adults came from looking at paintings from the Middle Ages and argues that children were pictured in the same way as adults, with the same rights, duties, dress and activities. The idea that children deserved special treatment and protection didn’t exist and so therefore childhood didn’t exist.
• Aries has argued that we are now obsessed with the ’ cult of childhood ‘, where we have made so much progress with legal and cultural changes to childhood. We have moved from not acknowledging childhood to being obsessed. He describes the 20th century as the ‘ century of the child ‘. This reinforces the idea that childhood is a social construct
• Aries can be criticised for using paintings in his research. they can be interpreted differently by different people and so it is subjective, and researchers can have different conclusions. Paintings would also only show upper class children and so it would lead to a biased sample, only showing rich, privileged children and so it is unrepresentative
• Sociologists agree that the modern western view of childhood emerged following industrialisation as there were several legal changes around protecting children from the dangerous work in factories, making education compulsory so that children developed skills needed in an industrial society
• Childhood is getting better - Aries (mini adults, century of the child, cult of childhood) Pilcher (golden age, child centeredness)
• Childhood is not getting better - Palmer ( toxic childhood, toxic generation), Gittens ( age patriarchy)
• Palmer argues that childhood is now toxic. Parents aren’t raising children properly. The increase of interactive technology like phones and iPads has impacted children’s development creating an attachment to technology ‘ ipad kids’. Parents are busier than before and so take the easier approach to parenting, meaning children are not being nurtured and socialised effectively. This creates a toxic generation which will cause a negative cycle where children won’t be able to raise their own children properly
• Evaluation of palmer - evidence can suggest technology can help children develop, such as apps to help reading, problem solving skills, improve their mental health etc. this suggests not all technology that Palmer refers to is creating a toxic generation.
• Gittens argues that the way adults protect and supervise children oppresses them. There is an age patriarchy where children are controlled by adults. The laws ’protecting’ children from paid work and ‘nurturing‘ them through compulsory education forced them to be financially dependent on adults. This gives children an inferior status and gives adults power over children.
• Humphreys supports Gittens through research into domestic violence. He found that 25% of the women that left their abusive partners did so out of fear for their child’s life. This shows the extreme abuse of adults towards children.
• Contradicts Gittens - Cunningham argues that children have more control over money than ever before. Children directly spend £4 billion a year in the UK, reducing their dependency on adults and showing they have more power within the family than Gittens argues.
• Womack argues that British children are the unhappiest in the western world. Family breakdown is a large factor in this with 33% living away from their biological father
• possible conclusion to ‘ has childhood improved ‘ - it has improved significantly for some children. The more privileged in society feel the benefits. Howard (class) argues that children born into poor families are more likely to die in childhood or have long term illness. Bonke (gender) argues girls do more domestic labour so boys have more freedom. Bhatti (ethnicity) argues that Asian girls are more restricted by parents as part of their ethnic subculture
• Postman argues that childhood is disappearing altogether. The distinction between adults and children is disappearing due to media, the internet and TV. in the 19th century, mass literacy occurred, causing an information hierarchy (had to learn to read to access adult information so children couldn’t access this.) Postman believes that information hierarchy is the reason why childhood and adulthood are separate stages. However today children don’t need skills to access adult information, they can get it through media. Therefore childhood is disappearing altogether