Social construction of childhood

• Childhood is not part of a biological range from birth to 18, concept of childhood varies in other societies and cultures
• Aries

  • Examined development of childhood through medieval paintings
  • Many children seen as doing same jobs as adults, 'mini-adults'
  • Cult of childhood = developed in middle class, became part of working class
  • Palack = criticises for using paintings as main source of evidence
• History of childhood

  • Cotton mills = crawling under machines to remove stuck cotton, could result in death, harsh punishments and little earnings
  • Children employed as scare crows = used so seeds don't get eaten, working for many hours, lonely
  • Chimney sweepers = boys would climb chimneys often naked so soot wouldn't go on clothes, many injuries
• Legislation

  • Factory act, 1833 = limited working days for children, under 13 had to receive schooling for 2 hours everyday
  • Factory act, 1844 = no child was to clean mill machinery when in use, failure to do so = criminal offence