Childhood

• childhood is a social construction, as the concept of childhood varies across different times, cultures and countries
• in Western society, reaching the age of consent (18) marks the end of childhood, but in Latin America, a quinceañera is a tradition that symbolise and celebrates a girl's transition into womanhood
• The basic agreed differences between adults and children in every culture

  • children are not as physically or psychologically matured like adults, and so are not held accountable for their actions, as they are still learning
  • children are vulnerable and have biological and emotional needs that must be tended to
• adults possess the competency to dictate their own lives, unlike children who are not experienced or mature enough to make decisions for themselves
• there is disparity between societies when it comes to interpreting what childhood is, such as how to socialise children, their place in society and at what age their childhood terminates
• childhood as a social construction

  • the idea that children symbolise innocence and vulnerability
  • the notion that children should be educated, and not responsible for working and generating money
  • being child-centred, the notion that products, services and experiences are aimed specifically to children
• Pilcher & Separateness

  • defines separateness as the recent acknowledgement that childhood is a distinct and different stage of life to adulthood
  • this is a modern and western perception of childhood
  • separateness is expressed 'officially', such as lawfully, with the existence of laws that exist to protect children, or simply in everyday life, such as having a 'play area' in waiting areas
• Wagg & Non-Universal childhood

  • argues that despite the universal consensus that children need physical growth and development, childhood is still perceived differently across different cultures and societies
  • for example, the transition of 'becoming a man' may vary across different cultures, who may have different opinions on what characteristics 'define' a man
• some sociologists believe that there is not just one Western way of viewing childhood, there are cross-cultural differences in childhood
• In some third-world countries that are still developing, children are treated as a cheap source of labour in factories, farm or even in the household. This leads to children being viewed as economic assets that are expected to aid in generating income for the family
• Punch & Bolivia study

  • studied children in Bolivia and found that children as young as five were expected to partake in intense labour in and outside of the house
  • unlike in the West, the notion that children are 'too young' to participate in dangerous tasks during labour, is generally negated
• In other countries, during conflicts young teenagers, typically boys, were often trained and recruited to fight, and are often given serious adult responsibilities at such a young age
• Young girls in some Non-Western countries are susceptible to being forced into an arranged marriage, and thus forced to take on the responsibilities of a wife or mother at such a tender age
• Malinowski; Sexuality and Childhood

  • conducted in a study with Trobriand Islanders in 1957
  • found that it was in their culture to allow their children to explore sexuality and exhibit sexual behaviours, without adult interference
• Hillman

  • found that boys were more likely to be given more freedom in their childhood, they were allowed to do more potentially dangerous activities such as going out after dark and crossing the road by themselves
• Ariès

  • argues that the concept of childhood did not exist in the 10th to 13th century period of time
  • children were not regarded as different to adults, but instead treated as 'miniature adults' who were treated as adults not only in the workplace, in the eyes of the law too
  • artwork from the period was found to depict children as 'small adults' in the way that they dressed the same and worked together, but were scaled down to represent their naturally short stature
• Shorter & Parenting styles

  • children were just viewed as economic assets who help generate income to the family, so parents often lacked maternal or paternal instincts
  • due to high infant mortality rates, negligence and indifference towards infants was rife in 10th to 13th century society
  • newborn babies were often referred to as 'it' instead of being assigned names
  • it was a common practise to assign newborns with the name of a recently deceased sibling
• Donzelot (1997)

  • argued that towards the end of the 19th century, society began to reconsider their ideas about childhood, and instead began placing emphasis on children's need for protection and supervision
  • this is reflected by the 1880 Education Act, which made it compulsory for all children between five and ten to attend school
• developments that led to a child-centred society in 20th century British society;

  • improvements in living standards such as higher wages, better hygiene and better quality housing led to a dramatic decrease in infant mortality rates
  • children were no longer viewed as economic assets, and it became expensive to raise children, so parents opted to raise fewer children and instead focused on improving quality of life for them
• ...more developments that led to a child-centred society

  • industrialised societies require a workforce of qualified workers, so education was necessary to equip pupils with the necessary work skills
  • The Children Act (2004) initiated an ' every child matters' approach to conversations regarding children's well-being
  • increased state involvement in supervision and protection children; social workers and social services began monitoring families in which children are thought to be at risk
• Postman & The Disappearance of Childhood

  • childhood is disappearing at a 'dazzling speed'
  • the exposure of TV & the media to children has blurred the line between innocence & the adult word, as they become desensitised to the adult world, diminishing their oblivion
• ...more on Postman

  • there is a lack of supervision when it comes to video games which grants children unlimited access to things like sex and tragedy
  • nowadays, children are more likely to commit 'adult' crimes like homicide, as opposed to more minor offences such as petty theft or anti-social behaviour, this is thought to be because of an over-exposure to the media
• Opie (1993)

  • argues against the idea that childhood is disappearing, and opposes Postman, instead suggesting that childhood is merely changing, and that there is still a distinct culture tailored to children, evidenced by the existence of children's toys, television and music
• Palmer (2006)

  • agrees with Postman, arguing that childhood has become toxic due to an over-indulgence in television, junk food and other unhealthy habits due to changes in parenting
  • this is caused by parents who often enable these habits as a way of keeping their children busy and quiet, as they themselves are too busy in their own lives, occupied by consumerism, and so they cannot offer a traditional childhood
• toxic childhood;

  
  

  • little time spent outdoors
  • excessive screen time
  • increased stress in children due to academic exam and expectations
• Pugh (2002)

  • claims that some parents, although wealthy, tend to opt for a 'consumption as compensation' parenting style
  • this means they cannot devote enough time to their children, due to busy schedules, and so buy whatever products and goods requested by their children in an attempt to minimise feelings of guilt
• Aries & The media

  • believes that the media & peer groups can have stronger influence over parents
  • over-exposure to magazines, media and pop songs can cause girls to hyper-sexualise themselves, viewing themselves as sexual objects
  • he also believes that an increase in social problems such as suicide, eating disorders and common insecurities is another product of the the media having great influence in childhood, typically on teenagers
• Smart (2011)

  
  

  • children are not a passive homogeneous group of people, each has their own experience as there is intersectionality amongst children
  • there are children of different ability, ethnicity , gender, religion etc.