Social Construction

• Social Construct - means a concept or perception of something asked on the collective view of people within society or social group
• Childhood is seen as a social construct although there is no single universal childhood experienced by all, it can depend on time, place and culture.
• Childhood is a special time of life and children are fundamentally different from adults. They are seen as young and immature, without capability to run their own life. They learn skills from their parents, friends and society in order of how to life.
• Childhood is empathised through things such as: laws, clothes differences and play areas.
• Jane Pilcher said the most important feature of childhood is separateness. Childhood is seen as a clear and distinct life stage, were children’s life’s are separate from adults. There are things used which make childhood clear important stage; kids menus, play areas.
• Related to the idea of separateness is the idea of childhood being seen as a ‘golden age’ of happiness and innocence. This innocence means that children are seen as vulnerable and in need of protection from the dangers of the adult world.
• Benedict argues that children in simpler and non-industrial societies are generally treated differently to those in the western, in three main ways:

  1. They take responsibility at an early age
  2. There is less value on children showing obedience to adult authority
  3. Children's sexual behaviour is viewed differently

  She argued that in many non-industrial countries there is much less of a dividing line between behaviour of children and adults.
• Social Construct - means a concept or perception of something asked on the collective view of people within society or social group
• Some sociologists argue that western notion of childhood are being globalised, and making childhood a distinct life stage - based in a nuclear family and school.
• Histories Aries (1960) argues in Middle Ages the idea of childhood did not exist, and children were not seen as having a different nature or need to adults, except from in infancy. Soon after being weaned the child enters society pretty much as an adult and starts to work. These attitudes and expectations are much different today.
• Sociologists have criticised Aries such as Pollock (1983) who argues that it is more correct to say that in the Middle Ages, society simply had a different notion of childhood from todays.