Childhood

• Childhood is socially constructed
• The definition of childhood can change across cultures
• Pilcher defines childhood as a ”special time in life & it is distinctly seperate period to adulthood”
• Punch found Bolivian 5 year olds are expected to work, showing cross cultural differences
• Firth found that the souwest Pacific island, Tikopia children have the choice to follow an adults orders - showing no heirachial structure
• Both Punch and Firth were supported my statistical data
• However, this way of childhood being defined as different across cultures can change with time
• There has been a globalisation of Western Childhood
• Campaigns against child labour and ”street children” has lef the to the spread of western ideas aboug childhood
• Ariès found during the Middle Ages, childhood did not exist, they found children were expected to contribute when they could
• In the Middle Ages there was little differences legally between and adult and child
• Ariès used historical documents to come to his conclusion on childhood
• Postman says the growth of childhood as a concept was due to the existence of printing press because children could not read
• Postman argues the introduction of TV has lead to childhood disappearing again
• Lloyd de Mause says that childhood used to be a nightmare but the lives of children has improved for the better
• Today children are more valued due to a ”child centred family”
• Palmer says a toxic childhood has been created - parents rely on ”electronic babysitters” instead of engaging with their children
• Molly Russel commited suicide in 2017 - showing the existence of a toxic childhood
• Children born in LEDCs, face more health problems
• Hillman says boys are more likely to get freedom and face more risk than girls, while girls grow up doing domestic labour
• Bonke says girls are more likely to do domestic labour especially if the mother is not available
• There are mant class inequalities in childhood - working class mothers give birth to low birth-weight babies and have development delays
• Woodroffe claims children who come from unskilled manual workers are 4x more likely to suffer from hyperactivity
• Howard children born in poor families are more likely to die during infancy
• Firestone & Holt found children are oppressed by adults and see a need to free children by ’child liberation’
• In 2006, 31.4k children were on the child protection registers and considered at significant harm, often from their own parents
• Childline received 20k calls a year from children
• It can be suggested there is a darkside to family life and the biggest victims of it are children
• Gittins argues there is an ’Age Patriachy’ which keeps children subordinate
• Adult control can result in sexual/emotional abuse
• Postman argues TV blares the distinction of childhood and adulthood
• Iona Opie says there are still distinct spaces for children and adults - such as games/music
• Jenks adults are becoming even more focussed on protecting their child’s innocence
• Mayall coined the term ”Adultist Veiwpoint”
• Adultist Veiwpoint means children are veiwed as socialisation projects to mould and develop