Childhood

• Key ideas (Childhood):

  • Childhood is a social construct.
  • Location changes childhood.
• Pilcher:

  • In western society childhood is a clear, distinct life stage.
  • Evidence includes laws, dress, products, services and exclusion from paid work.
• Wagg (1992):

  • 'What members of particular societies, at particular times and in particular places say it is'
  • There is no universal childhood.
• Benedict:

  • Cultural variations.
  • Childhood is different in non-industrialised societies.
• Aries:

  • Historical variations.
  • In the middle ages childhood didn't exist.
• Changes in childhood since the middle ages:

  • Excluded from paid work
  • Compulsory schooling
  • More rights
  • Decline in family size
  • More medical knowledge of child development
• March of progress (children are...):

  • More valued
  • Better cared for
  • Educated
  • Protected
  • Better health
  • More rights
• Smaller families lead to child-centredness, cost per child is around £50,000 before 17.
• Conflict view on childhood (Marxist & feminist):

  • Inequalities of power
  • Control over- space, time, body and resources.
  • Powerless
  • Neglect and abuse
• Holt: Argues that care and protection isn't positive but is instead oppression and control.
• Gittins:

  • Age patriarchy- adult domination over children.
• Hockney & James:

  • 'Acting up' and 'Acting down'
  • Children want to escape from childhood.
• Criticisms of the conflict view:

  • Children cannot make their own rational decisions.
  • They are not as powerless as sociologists may think.
• Postman:

  • Childhood is disappearing.
  • Tv blurs the distinction, adult authority is diminished, styles are becoming similar & children are committing adult crimes (James Bulger).
• Opie:

  • Childhood isn't disappearing.
  • Evidence of separate cultures- Songs, rhymes and games.
• Child-centredness: Decline in working hours, increased wealth, welfare state, education, smaller families, medical & leisure services, consumer market.
• Future developments of childhood:

  • Globalisation
  • Sexualisation of childhood
  • Economic factors
  • Education
• Boomerang children: Children who leave home(e.g. for university), then come back.
• Sue Palmer (Toxic childhood):

  • Long hours worked by parents.
  • Junk food
  • Excessive testing
  • Computer games