4.6 - Childhood

• What does Aries say about childhood?

  • childhood is a social construction - a concept that is created and defined by society. It varies between place and time
• What was a Pre-Industrial childhood?

  • as soon as children were not physically dependent on their parents, they were treated no differently to adults
  • children in medieval society were treated like 'mini adults'
  • people did not know their date of birth
• What were Aries' theories based on?

  • paintings - secondary data
  • children were painted as wearing the same clothes as adults, no smiling, no facial expressions
  • not seen as innocent
• When did childhood emerge?

  • towards the end of the 17th century
  • paintings showed children as seperate to adults
  • children were treated by their parents with more interest and affection
  • children's toys and clothes were being manufactured
• What is the critique of Aries?

  • Pollock - criticises Aries for using a limited source which was paintings. Should use qualitative data such as diary entries or autobiographies
  • Wilson - Aries is ethnocentric, only looks at the higher class childhood. Childhood may have been different in other societies
• What was childhood and industrialisation like?

  • aries ideas in the emergence of childhood took some time to filter down from upper and middle class
  • they shift to move to an industrialised society did not change the way w/c children were treated
  • many of the children lives' were characterised by poverty and hard labour
• How did changes in social attitudes to children help?

  • attitudes started changing mid 19th century
  • factory acts were passed - these excluded children from hard labour and reduced the amount of paid work
  • there were also campaigners of children who had become beggars and pickpocketers
• When was the introduction of mass education?

  • 18th century introduced mass education
  • made education compulsory
  • created a common childhood
  • some w/c children were hesitant on letting their children go to school since they needed them to work
• What was a child centred society?

  • emerged in 20th century
  • seen children as seperate to adults
• What were Cunninghams features of a child centred society?

  1 - Childhood is the opposite to adulthood. A time of innocence, vulnerability and protection

  2 - Children are excluded from adult social places such as the workplace and should go to school

  3 - Childhood is a time for enjoyment and should be enjoyed
• How can childhood depend on gender?

  • feminist studies show that due to gender role socialisation, childhood differs for boys and girls
  • this could depend in the way they dress, act and which toys they play with
  • stricter on girls and boys tone down emotion
• How did social class impact childhood?

  • Upper class - mostly spent time in boarding schools
  • Middle class - aim for university and likely to receive economic and cultural support from parents
  • Nelson - middle class are 'helicopter parents' and always fly around their children
  • Working class - 'natural growth' of children. Do what is best for their children as long as they are happy
• How does ethnicity and religion impact childhood?

  • evidence that muslim, sikh and hindu feel a sense of duty and obligation
  • Ghumann - religion has a big impact on childhood experience. Conflict is mainly due to fashion, dating and marriage
  • Shaw - carried out an ethnographic study on BP muslims and found religion had a big impact on how their childhood was. More stricter controls on girls. Boys attended quran classes
• How did the state affect childhood?

  • 20th century seen an increase in different state policies to protect children. State had to take care of internal and external threats
  • NHS oversees maternity care
  • Coalition government want to eradicate child poverty
  • 1991 Child Support Act - protects children after a divorce
  • 2004 Children's Act - a child commisioner was appointed
• How does global experiences impact childhood?

  • children in different countries are in risk of poverty
  • UNICEF - measles kills 500,000 children a year
  • Children are less likely to have access to education
  • social stigma surrounding girls
• How does war shape childhood?

  • increases the likelihood of children becoming refugees, orphans and hostages
  • UNICEF - 2 million killed a year because of war
  • thousands of children are serving as suicide bombers and child soldiers
  • women are used as sexual purposes
• How does child abuse shape childhood?

  • there is neglect, physical, sexual and emotional abuse
  • NSPCC - at least on child a week will die of adult cruelty
  • there are negative effects on childhood and is not always a positive experience
• What is the conventional approach of childhood?

  • functionalists and new right thinkers
  • highlight the fact that the key to a happy childhood is primary socialisation
  • succesful parenting - parents socialising children into positive social norms and values
  • criticisms - assumes a 'succesful childhood' requires two heterosexual parents
• How is the innocence of childhood lost?

  • melanie phillips
  • 1 - Good parenting has been distorted by state policies which have given children too many rights and power. When parents resort to sanctions such as smacking, they are penalised
  • 2 - The media and peer groups have become more influential. Magazines are aimed at young girls to sexualise them earlier
• Why does Postman see childhood under threat?

  • due to television
  • 1 - Popularity of television means there are no secrets from children. They are exposed to the real world of drugs, drink, death and sex
  • 2 - Social blurring - there is little distinction between adults and children. Dress the same and play the same games
  • criticisms - not enough evidence and parents actually protect their children
• What do feminists say about childhood?

  • Walter - argues that the ideas arising in the 1900's should make women feel more empowered about their sexuality
  • instead, the media has turned this into a negative impact and created a hyper sexual culture - obsession with a perfect body
• What do Social Action Theorists say about childhood?

  • see how children's desicions and social actions construct childhood
  • say the theoretical approach wrongly assume that children are empty vessels
  • socialisation is a two way process which children contribute too
• What is the social action approach to childhood?

  1 - Criticises the convential idea for ignoring the idea that children actively contribute to their childhood

  2 - Chambers' argues sociologists need to look at how children examine childhood themselves

  3 - Children have the right to make an active contribution to their childhood
• How is children wanting more rights shown?

  1 - Children often want the right to more independence but this conflict with the state's framework for children

  2 - Tension between the need for parents to protect children from bullying.

  3 - Some sociologists argue childhood is becoming more individualised because of the decline in traditional relationships

  4 - Chambers identifies the conflict between children and the media and parents
• What do Postmodernists believe about childhood?

  • status of children may be changing because of the emergence of new family types
  • children are now gaining the right to determine and regulate assosciation with parents
  • Chapman - says that the experience of childhood depends on the type of family you are raised in. Nuclear family experience would be different to others
• What are the criticisms of the postmodernist view of childhood?

  1 - western model of childhood may not be applicable to developing countries

  2 - Interests of children may not be the same everywhere. Some may prefer to be in paid work then education

  3 - Developing countries may not have the same level of economic development like other countries. Children cannot have their own rights