2.1 Childhood

• In what ways is childhood emphasised?

  -Laws (e.g. educational policy)

  -Differences in clothes

  -Products & services

  -Toys & books

  -Food

  -Entertainment & play areas
• What did Pilcher say about separateness in childhood?


  She said that the most important feature of childhood is separateness. The idea that childhood is clear and a distinct life stage, and children have separate life stage from adults
• What did Aries say about childhood as a golden age?


  childhood is a 'golden age' of happiness and innocence which means children should be protected and kept separate from the adult world. their lives are contained to the sphere of the family where they are provided for
• What did Benedict say about the ways children in less-developed countries differ from western ideas?


  taking responsibility at an early age

  less value placed on showing obedience

  views of child sexual behaviour
• What do sociologists say about the globalisation of western childhood?

  They say that the notions of western childhood are being globalised and that international humanitarian & welfare agencies have sported & imposed these values on the rest of the world like the idea of it being a separate life stage
• What did Aries say about the creation of modern childhood?


  from the 13th century onwards elements of the modern idea of childhood began to develop

  schools began to cater to children rather than adults as well, which reflects the influence of the church beginning to see children as needing protection from worldly evils

  growing differences in child and adult clothing - by the 17th century upper-class boys would wear clothing specific to him

  handbooks on childrearing were available by the 18th century
• What did Pollock say to criticise Aries' creation of modern childhood?


  pollock argues that the middle ages simply viewed childhood differently than today as opposed to it not existing
• How many children worldwide are in child labour? What percentage?

  160 million or 1/10 of the child population
• What amount & percentage of child labourers are in hazardous work?

  79 million & nearly half
• What is the youngest a child in the U.K. can work part time? What jobs are exceptions to this?

  13 is the youngest, except TV, theatre & modelling
• What did Aries say about historical childhood?


  -He said that in the Middle Ages, the idea of childhood didn't exist and children weren't seen as having different needs to adults

  -Childhood was short & they started work from an early age, they were 'mini adults' with the same rights, duties & skills as adults
• What does Jenks say about childhood in post modernity?


  -He says that childhood is changing & not changing but agrees with Aries that childhood was a creation on modern society & that childhood is preparing the individual to become a productive adult

  -Jenks believe that childhood is changing as society moves from modernity to post modernity

  -In postmodern society, adults are more fearful of their children's security, children seen as vulnerable
• What does the march of progress view argue about childhood?

  Over the past few centuries, the position of children in western societies has been steadily improving and today is better than it has ever been
• Who believes in the march of progress view?

  Aries & Shorter
• What does the conflict view argue about childhood?

  It says that childhood isn't perfect and that there's many issues and inequalities that children still face in western society:

  -Inequalities among children

  -Neglect & abuse

  -Inequalities between adults & children

  -Control over children's space, time, bodies & resources
• What is the child-centered family?

  -Higher living standards & smaller family sizes mean parents can afford to provide for their children's needs

  -Children are the focal point of the family

  -Parents invest into children financially & emotionally and have high aspirations for them
• What does Palmer say about toxic childhood?


  She says that children in the U.K. now have a toxic childhood due to:

  -Junk food

  -The internet

  -Social media

  -Mental health issues

  & all the issues associated with these factors
• What did Hillman say about inequalities between children to do with gender?


  Boys are more likely to have freedoms such as taking the bus, crossing the road and going out after dark alone
• What is Hockey & James' evidence of age patriarchy?


  hildren rebel against the idea of being a child in one of two ways:

  acting up - acting like adults by doing things that children aren't supposed to like drinking, smoking, swearing and exaggerating their ages (i'm 7 and 3/4)

  acting down - behaving in ways expected of younger children such as reverting to baby talk or demanding they be carried
• What did Smart et al say about children as therapists?


  children were actively involved in marriages that ended in divorce acting as therapists
• How much do children cost their parents a year?

  Around £11,000
• How much more worse off are single parents single benefit cuts in 2013?

  £100 a month
• What amount of single parents skip meals to ensure their children have enough to eat?

  2/3
• What did Postman say about the disappearance of childhood?


  -He argues that childhood is disappearing & that there's a trend where children are given the same rights as adults e.g. similar clothing, unsupervised games, crimes etc

  -He believed orient culture has been replaced by TV culture

  -As mass literacy evolved in the 19th century, childhood became a separate status& adults had the power to keep knowledge about sex, money, illness etc

  -He thinks TV blurs the distinction between child & adulthood

  -Opie (1993) argues childhood isn't disappearing & children still have a separate culture