Childhood as a social construct

• Childhood as a social construct

  The position that children occupy in society is not fixed but differs between times/places/cultures
• Modern Western notion of childhood

  • Based largely in the nuclear family
  • General consensus that children are fundamentally different from adults
  • Children are physically/psychologically immature and incompetent to run their own lives
  • Children have no economic role and are dependent on adults
  • Lack of skills means they need lengthy/protected period of nurturing and socialisation before they are ready for adult society and its responsibilities
• Separateness

  The idea that childhood is a clear, distinct life stage and children in our society occupy a separate status from adults

  • Pilcher: Childhood is a clear and distinct life stage. - most important feature is separateness.
• Ways separateness is emphasised

  • Laws regulating what children are allowed, required or forbidden to do
  • Difference in dress, toys, food, books, entertainments, play areas
• 'Golden age' of happiness and innocence


  The idea that children are vulnerable and need to be protected from adult life. They must be kept quarantined and separate as most of their lives are in the education/family sphere
• The view that age is a separate status is not found in all societies, it is not universal
• Historical differences in childhood

  • Between 10th-13th century, the idea of childhood did not exist
  • Children were mini adults and had the same rights/duties
  • They had the same liability as adults - historically the same punishments applied to both children and adults
  • Parental attitudes in the middle ages were very different from today as high death rates encouraged indifference and neglect especially towards infants
• Modern cult of childhood

  Emerged after 13th century, with schools catering to the education of the young, and growing distinction between adult and children clothing
• Reasons for changes in the position of children

  • Laws restricting child labour and excluding children from paid work
  • Introduction of compulsory schooling
  • Child protection and welfare legislation
  • Growth of ideas of children's rights
  • Declining family size and lower infant mortality rates
  • Children's development became the subject of medical knowledge
  • Laws and policies that apply specifically to children
• Most sociologists argue that industrialisation is the basis of changes in childhood
• Cross cultural differences of childhood

  Benedict: children in simpler, non-industrial societies are treated differently in three ways:

  1. Take responsibility at an early age.
  2. Less value on obedience & authority.
  3. Child sexual behaviour is viewed differently.

  • Punch 2001 - did a study of childhood in Bolivia and found that once children turn 5, they are expected to take work responsibilities in the home and in the community
  • Holmes 1974 - studied samoan village in which ‘too young’ was never given as a reason for not permitting a child to undertake heavy manual labour