childhood

• western notion of childhood

  childhood often seen as distinct and protected phase of life marked by innocence and dependence
• pilcher

  childhood seen as a clear and distinct life stage ‘golden age’ of happiness and innocence
• benedict

  children in simpler non industrial societies are generally treated differently from western counter parts
• punch

  take responsibility at an early age

  bolivia- children about 5 years of age take work responsibilities without hesitation
• malinowski

  Tikopia- children encouraged to explore bodies sexually
• aries

  ‘childhood didn't exist‘ in the middle ages ‘mini adults’

  childhood was a short, entering society on the same terms as an adult

  artwork, children appear without any characteristics if childhood
• shorter

  high death rates encouraged indifference and neglect
• aries

  modern notion of childhood gradually emerged

  •school specialising in education if young

  •influence of church ‘creatures of God’

  •18th century handbooks on childbearing

  •growing distinction between clothing if children and adults

  these changes made us move to ’century of the child’
• pollock

  middles ages simply had a different notion
• reasons for changed in position:

  • compulsory schooling
  • child protection and welfare legislation
  • laws restricting children from paid work
  • children rights
  • laws and policies
• postman

  childhood ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed‘ - rise and fall of print culture and its replacement by tv culture

  printed word creates information hierarchy- a sharp distinction between adults and children

  tv blurs distinction
• opie

  argues childhood isn’t disappearing, string evidence of continued existence of a separate child culture

  rhyme songs
• jenks

  childhood changing as society moves to post modernity, pace of change speeds up and relationships become unstable leading to divorce generating insecurity, relationship with child becomes important as a source of adults stability
• criticism of jenks

  over generalising
• march of progress view

  past few centuries position of children in western society steadily improving, child centerdness
• aries + shorter

  children more valued
• palmer

  toxic childhood

  technology

  cultural changes damaged childrens physical emotional and intellectual development
• conflict view

  argue march of progress view of modern childhood is based on a false and idealised image ignoring inequalities

  not all children share the same experiences status or nationality
• hillman

  boys are more likely to be allowed to go out at dark unaccompanied
• bonke

  girls do more domestic labour, lone parent household five times more housework
• brennen

  asian parents stricter on daughters
• march of progress

  adults use power for the benefit and protection toward children
• firestone + holt

  argue the way march of progress see things are forms of oppression and control

  protection from paid work is a form of inequality
• control of children

  • space: children's movements highly regulated
  • time: adults control children’s routine
  • bodies: control children bodies, restricting the way they touch themselves
  • resources: depend economically on parents
• gittens

  uses term age patriarchy to describe inequalities between adults and children

  rule by the father
• smart

  new sociology of childhood, we must take perspective of child
• mayall

  we need to focus on present tense of childhood
• mason and tipper

  children actively make their own definition of who is family
• hocky + james

  • acting up, children acting like adults doing things they aren’t meant to
  • acting down, behaving in ways expected of a child, baby talk
• child liberation

  children in modern western society are victims of age patriarchy and are subject to adult control, children cant make rational decisions