childhood as social construct

• PILCHER > seperateness 


  -most important feature of modern western childhood

  -childhood clear & distinct life stage

  -children in modern western society occupy separate status from adults

  -separate age-status emphasised
• how is separate age status emphasised - Pilcher

  -laws

  -differences in dress, products & services
• golden age


  -in modern western societies, childhood is "golden age"

  -happiness & innocence > vulnerable

  -kept 'quarantined' away from dangers of outside world
• result of children being seen as vulnerable


  -children's lives lived largely in sphere of family & education

  -adults provide for them

  -protect them from outside world
• Wagg


  -childhood socially constructed

  -no single universal childhood experienced by all

  -childhood isn't 'natural'

  -should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity
• evidence that childhood is socially constructed

  -differences in childhood between societies

  -differences in childhood over time
• Benedict


  -found in simpler, non-industrial societies:

  > children have more responsibility

  > less value placed on children showing obedience to adults

  > children's sexual behaviour is viewed differently

  > expected behaviour of children less clearly separated from expected behaviour of adults
• globalisation of western childhood

  -some sociologists argue western notions of childhood being globalised

  -international humanitarian aid & welfare agencies have exported & imposed western childhood on rest of world
• criticism of welfare agencies imposing western childhood

  -ignores different cultural norms that see child labour as important preparation for adult life
• Aries (1960)


  -argues in Middle Ages childhood didn't exist

  -as soon as passing age of physical dependency, children treated much the same as adults
• Middle Ages


  -childhood & adulthood not clearly distinguished from each other

  -children had similar responsibilities to adults

  -work began at early age

  -no differences in legal rights
• Shorter


  -parental attitudes very different to what they are today

  -high infant mortality rates encouraged indifference & neglect > especially towards infants
• Aries - modern childhood emerging


  -from 13th century

  -schools began to specialise in education of the young

  -children's & adults clothing became more different

  -handbooks on childrearing became widely available (sign of child-centeredness)

  -developments led to 'cult of childhood'
• Pollock criticising Aries 


  -in Middle Ages society had different notion of childhood from today

  -childhood still existed
• strength of Aries


  -shows childhood is socially constructed

  -demonstrates how ideas about children & their social status have varied over time