families and households: childhood

• what is the march for progress for children according to aries + shorter?

  argue today children more valued, better cared for, protected + educated. family also more child centred. higher living standards due to smaller family sizes. chiildren no longer to be 'seen and not heard'. Society as whole more child centred.
• what do sociologists argue about childhood?

  childhood socially constructed.. Argue ppl mean by childhood + position children occupy in society, differs between different times, places + cultures. can see this by comparing western idea of childhood w/ childhood in past + other societies.
• what does Pilcher identify about childhood?

  most imp feature of modern idea of childhood is separateness, means childhood clear + distinct life stage + children in society occupy separate status from adults. idea childhood golden age of happiness + innocence. Innocence means children vulnerable + need of protection from dangers of adult world
• what does Wagg identify about childhood?

  childhood socially constructed so what members of certain society at certain times + certain places say it is. no universal childhood ex'ed by all.
• according to Wagg what does this mean?

  means while all humans go through same stages of physical development, diff cultures construct or define this process diff. Western culture children - vulnerable + defenceless. Other cultures don't see great difference between children + adults
• what does Benedict argue about children?

  argues children in simpler, non-industrial societies are treated differently from their modern western counterparts in 3 ways.
• what does Punch argue about children?

  studied children rural Bolivia and found once children about 5 yo they are expected to take on work responsibilities in home and community.
• what does Holmes argue about children?


  studied Samoan village and found that 'too young' was never given as reason for not permitting child to undertake a particular task. e.g. they handle dangerous tools + carry heavy loads.
• what does Firth argue about children?

  found among the Tikopia of Western Pacific doing as you told by a grown-up is regarded as a concession to be granted by the child, not a right to be expected as an adult.
• what does Malinowski argue about children?

  found that amongst Trobriand islanders of the south west pacific found that adults took an attitude of 'tolerance + amused interest' towards children's sexual explorations + activities.
• what is the globalisation of western childhood?


  some sociologist argue western ideas of childhood being globalised. intl humanitarian + welfare agencies have exported + imposed on rest of world wester norms of childhood
• what are the western notions of childhood?

  distinct, separate life stage which children innocent, dependant, vulnerable + have no economic role
• what do child liberationists argue?

  modern western childhood is oppressive and children today are subject to adult authority.
• what do sociologists argue bout historical differences in childhood?

  position of children differs over time as well as between societies. many sociologists argue childhood as we understand it today is relatively 'recent' invention.
• what do Aries and shorter argue about childhood?

  argue idea of childhood didn't exist in middle ages (10th to 13th centuries)
• what was 'childhood' in the Middle Ages?

  childhood as separate stage short. soon after being weaned, child entered wider soc on same terms as adult, beginning work from early age, often in household of another family. children 'mini-adults' with same rights, duties + skills as adult e.g. law made no distinction between the two.
• what evidence does Aries use to support the claim of childhood in the Middle Ages?


  works of art from the period. children appear w/put characteristic of childhood - depicted on smaller scale. painting shows children dressed in same clothing + working/playing together
• what does shorter argue about parental attitudes in the Middle Ages?

  parental attitudes to children in middle ages different from those today. Shorter argue high death rates encouraged indifference + neglect, especially towards infants e.g. not uncommon to die a new born name of dead sibling or refer to baby as it or forget how many children had.
• what was childhood like in the Middle Ages?

  childhood didn't exist. children regarded as little adults and treated as such. working, dressing and behaving like adults.
• what was childhood liker in the 16th to 18th century?


  concept of childhood as separate from adulthood develop. rich parents sen children school to be equated. poor families - industrial revolution so child labour widespread
• what was childhood like in 19th century?

  factory acts banned employment of children in mines and factories. end of entry state education compulsory in most European countries.
• what was childhood like in the 20th to 21st century?

  separate debris of childhood established. been decampment of experts specialising in children
• when did the modern notion of childhood begin to emerge from and what were they?

  13th century
• how do wee see this development of the modern notion of childhood?

  school specialise in education of rich young. reflects influence of church - children 'creatures of god'

  
  

  growing distinction between adults + childrens clothing

  
  

  by 18th century handbooks on childrearing were widely available - sign of growing child-centredness of family life
• what does Aries argue about childhood?

  moved from world that doesn't see childhood as special to world obsessed w/ childhood. calls 20th century as the 'century of the child
• what does Pollack argue about childhood?

  grit Aries for arguing that childhood didn't exist, arguing more correct to say that in Middle Ages society simply had different notion of childhood from todays. armies work valuable as shows childhood socially constructed
• what are laws changing positions of children?

  - changes in law - restrictions to child labour, compulsory ed

  - children's act - protect child from abuse

  - children no longer economic assets - economic liabilities

  - families smaller overtime
• has the position of children improved?


  childhood socially constructed + varies between times, places + cultures. imp difference between childhood in western socs today compared w/ present-day developing countries + european countries in the past. middle ages.
• what does palmer argue?


  argues rapid tech + cultural changes in past 25 yrs have damaged children's physical, emotional + intellectual development. toxic children
• how has childhood become toxic?

  too much screen time - cyber bullying

  higher expectation to pass exams, education + succeed in jobs

  junk food - obesity

  grooming

  poorer attention/listening skills

  language declined

  higher rates in ADHD, dyslexia + autism

  lack of play/sleep

  education/family/parenting changes

  tv in Childs bedroom - destabilise children
• what do margo and dixon argue about childhood?

  reported that the UK youth are at or near top of intl league for obesity, self harm , drug + alcohol abuse, violence, early sexual violence + teenage pregnancies. Reveal anxiety that modern notion of childhood as innocent + protected stage under threat
• what do conflict theorists argue about childhood

  march for progress view of modern childhood based on false + idealised images that ignore imp inequalities:

  
  

  inequalities among children

  
  

  inequalities between children + adults
• what are inequalities among children?

  not all children same status; nationality different childhood, different ethnic groups or sexes.. poor families - children more likely die in infancy/childhood, suffer longstanding illness shorter height, fall behind in school + placed on child protection register. (Howard)
• what are inequalities between children + adults?

  firestone + holt - see things march for progress see +vely as forms of oppression and control. Firestone argues 'protection' from paid work not benefit to children but form of inequality. way of segregating children + subjecting them to adult control
• what are the four forms of control?

  neglect and abuse

  control over space

  control over time

  control over bodies

  control over access to resources
• what is 'neglect and abuse'?

  adult control take extreme form of physical neglect or physical, sexual, emotional abuse. 4,300 children 2013 subject to child protection plans due to risk of harm from parents
• what is 'control over space'?

  - shops display 'no school children'

  - children forbidden to play in certain areas

  - more surveillance in public spaces

  - fears of road safety + 'stranger danger' - children driven school 71' 80% travel

  - Cunningham argue 'home habitat' of children shrunk to 1/9 it 25 yr ago
• what is 'control over time'?

  control over routine:

  
  

  wake up + bedtime

  when eat

  where + when go out

  adults control growing up speed
• what is 'control over bodies'?

  walk, sit, run, hair styles, earspierced - controlled children can be touched in certain ways
• what is 'control over access to resources'?

  laws excluding children from work

  child benefits to parent

  pocket money dependent on behaviour spent on restrictions