Families Topic 2

• Modern western notation of childhood

  Children are fundamentally different to adults, Physically and psychologically imature, lack Skills & experiences.

  Pilcher orgues theres a distinct separateness of childhood, a 'life stage'

  •Differentness of nature is emphasised such as different laws for adults and kids (can’t be charged with a crime if they’re under 10, different clothes, Entertainment

  •wagg this is socialy constructed and not a universal Concept
• Cross-Cultural differences in childhood

  •Punch they take responsibilities at an early age, kids in Bolivia at five they take Work responsibilities, with no hesitation

  •holmes kids in Samoa had no concept of too young kids use dangerous tools if kids think they can do it adults let them

  •finth less value placed obeying adults kids in Western Pacific don’t automatically do adults say kid decides whether to listen

  •malinowski kids, sexual behaviour viewed differently adults of tobriland don’t view the sexual activities of young people and kids as bad, but tolerate their experimentation
• Globalisation of western childhood

  Sociologist argue, western notions of childhood are being globalised welfare agencies have imposed on the rest of the world. Weston norms of what childhood should be a separate life stage based in the nuclear family.

  • E.g. campaign to end child labour reflects western views of what childhood should be whereas in their culture this may be important prep for adult life
• historical differences in childhood

  Aries Augies in the middle ages the idea of childhood didn’t exist

  • Kids weren’t seen as having a different nature or need from adults
  • After being weaned, they entered wide society, and became adults with the same rights and skills as adults and the same laws and punishments
  • Aries used art from 10th century and 13th century and found kids appear without any characteristics of childhood. They’re just smaller adults. Kids dressed the same as adults and they play and work together.
• Modern cult of childhood

  Aries, the modern notion of childhood began to emerge from 13 century onwards school specialised purely in teaching kids. clothing become separate, child Centredness started to occur, handbook on child bearing were available for parents.

  • these developments accumulate from the modern cult of childhood. Aries says we’ve moved from childhood, not being special. to the world being obsessed with childhood
  • pollock criticises, Aries arguing it’s more correct to say the middle ages society simply had a different view of childhood
• Reasons for changes in the position of children

  There’s many reasons why the position of kids and societies changed including changes during 19th and 20th century e.g. laws restricting child labour excluding kids from paid work. Made them an economic liability dependent on parents.

  • Introduction of compulsory schooling, means they stay dependent on parents
• Reasons for change in the position of children

  Child protection and welfare legislation, prevention of cruelty act

  • The growth of the idea of kids rights, United Nations conventions on the rights of the children lays down the basic rights. E.g. entitlement, healthcare protection from abuse
  • Declining family size, encourage parents to make greater financial and emotional investments in kids
• Future of childhood- disappearance of childhood

  Postman argues childhood is disappearing due to the trend towards giving kids, the same rights as adults, the disappearance of kids, traditional games and growing similarity of adults and kids clothes, and even kids doing adult crimes, e.g. James Bulger case

  • He argues this is due to the fall of print culture and rise of TV culture.
  • in middle ages. Kids were illiterate. Speech was only needed for adult world. Kids now learn to speak using the TV so they can enter adult society at an early age.
• Information hierarchy

  Postman,

  childhood emerge as a separate status with Poor literacy from the 19th century on this is because the printed word creates its own hierarchy. A sharp division between adults who can read in kids who can’t giving adults power to keep knowledge about sex, violence, ect a secret from kids, meaning childhood was associated with innocence.

  • Tv Blur this as it doesn’t require specialist skills to access it. Kids can see it as removing their innocence.
• Childhood in post-modernity


  Jenks

  • Disagrees with postman, he argues childhood isn’t disappearing its changing
  • Modern society or childhood as preparation to make a child, a productive adult, to achieve this kids need to be nurtured and protected by the family and the education system
  • jenks argues childhood, changing as society moves from modernity to post maternity, in modern society, relationships were stable, but in postmodern society, pace of change, speeds, and relationships become unstable (more divorce)
• Childhood in post modernity p2

  Jenks

  • This creates insecurity by making kids more important as a sort of identity and stability
  • Relationship with kids become adults refuge, and therefore adults become more scared of kids safety
• Has the position of childhood improved- March of progress, child centred family

  Higher living standards And smaller families mean parents can afford to provide for kids needs properly. Much of progress. Argue family has become child centred kids no longer seen and not heard. Instead they are key to a family parents invest into their kids wanting them to have more opportunities and a better life than they did.
• Toxic childhood

  Palmer

  • Some people argue kids in the UK are experiencing what Palmer calls, toxic childhood, rapid technology and cultural changes in the past 25 years, have damaged kids, physical, emotional and intellectual development
  • These changes range from junk food, computer games and insensitive marketing to kids
  • Concerns have been exercised about young peoples health and behaviour. E.g. young kids have above average rate of a beastie self harm, drug and alcohol abuse violence and early sexual experiences.
• Conflict view (Marxist/feminist)

  Argue societies based on a conflict between different social groups, some have more power than others, they argued the March of progress view is based on false idealised images that ignore important, inequalities and criticised them on two grounds

  1. theres inequalities between kids opportunities and the risk they faced many today remain unprotected
  2. Inequalities between kids and adults are greater than ever kids, experience greater oppression and dependency, not greater care and protection
• Conflict view- inequalities amongst kids

  Not all kids share the same experiences, of different nationalities are likely to experience different childhood and life experiences

  • Also gender differences between kids according to Hillman, boys are likely to be able to go out at night, bonke found girls do more domestic labour, in lone parent families. They do five times more than boys.
  • Ethnic differences, brannen Asian families, more likely to be strict with daughters
  • Class inequalities, poor mums likely to have low birthweight kid—linked to delayed physical and intellectual development
• Inequalities between kids and adults

  Major power, inequalities between kids and adults, March of progress argue adults use this power for the benefit and protection of kids, e.g. by passing laws against child labour

  • Firestone and Holt criticise March of progress arguing care/protection are just new forms of oppression and control. E.g. protection from paid work doesn’t benefit kids. It’s a form of inequality as it’s a way of segregating kids making them powerless
• Neglect and abuse

  Adult control can take extreme form of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse

  • In 2013, 43,000 kids were subject to child protection plans
• Control over kids space

  Kids movements in industrial society are highly regulated e.g. shops displaying no school kids signs

  • Kids are forbidden from some areas
  • Close surveillance over kids in public spaces
  • Fears of road safety has led to kids being driven to school
• Control over kids time

  Kids daily routine is set by adults, when they get up, when they have breakfast, when they go to school, they also control how quick kids grow up by deciding if they’re old enough for some activities
• Control over kids, bodies

  Adults control, kids bodies, including how they sit, walk, run, what they wear, hairstyles,

  it’s taken, for granted that kids bodies may be touched in certain ways by certain people (washed, fed, picked up ect)

  • Adults control the way, kids, touch their own bodies, e.g. don’t pick your nose, don’t touch touch private bits which controls the sexual freedom of kids in non-industrial society
• Control over kids, access to resources

  In industrial society, kids have limited opportunities to earn money, so they remain dependent on adults, labour laws and compulsory schooling, exclude them from all, but the lowest paid work

  • Child benefits, go to adult not child
  • Pocket money depends on good behaviour and restrictions are given on what can be spent on
• Age patriarchy

  Gittins uses the term age, patriarchy to describe inequalities between kids and adults, adults, domination, and child, dependency= age, patriarchy

  • Patriarchy means rule by father, this power may still assert itself in the form of violence against women and kids
  • in Humphrey’s study 1/4 of women left their husbands due to fear of child’s life
  • This supports gittins Theory as it shows patriarchy oppresses women and kids
• age patriarchy

  grittins

  • evidence that kids experience oppressive childhood comes from strategies. Used to resist the states of childhood such as acting like an adult swearing, smoking, drinking joy riding and exaggerating their age. They also act down to resist adult control e.g. through baby talk
• New sociology of childhood

  While seeing childhood as socially constructed and shaped through laws, family, education ect helps us, understand how childhood changes overtime

  • There’s danger of seeing kids as passive objects who have no part in making their own childhood
  • mayall argues it risks kids being seen from an adultist viewpoint- kids are seen as socialisation projects for adults to mould shape and develop
  • A different view is new sociology of childhood. This approach doesn’t see kids as adults in the making, but as active agents who play a major role in creating their own childhood.
• Childs point of view

  Smart says the new approach aims to include the experiences of children themselves while they are living through childhood

  • Mason and Tipper show how kids create their own definition of whose family, which may include people who aren’t proper aunts ect but they are regarded as close
  • smart et al in a study of divorce, found the kids were actively involved in trying to make the situation better for everyone