1. Topic 2: Childhood
What you need How to demonstrate that childhood socially constructed
to know: Why and when did the modern idea of childhood developed
Are children better off now than in the past? How has the position of children changed?
The different views of the future of childhood.
How to demonstrate that childhood socially constructed
Define Social • Something that is not naturally occurring.
Construction • It is created by society & gets its meaning from culture & society itself.
• Therefore it is different over time & between societies
Changes over • Aries: childhood did not exist in middle ages, treated the same, even in law
time • He got his evidence from paintings – highly criticised – not truth but artists impression – wear ‘Sunday
best’
• Shorter: high death rate meant parents treated babies with indifference & neglect– had many babies
• Aries argues that childhood started from 13th century onwards.
Changes across • Benedict – in non-industrial cultures there is less of a distinction between adult & child behaviour &
cultures expectations & children are treated very differently to western societies
• Bolivia – from 5 children work along side adults
• Black foot Indians – beat boys to make them strong
Why and when did the modern idea of childhood developed
• Social attitudes towards children began to change in the mid 19th century
• Campaigners were concerned about juvenile delinquency, beggars & prostitution
• They wanted kids off the street – so they went to school
• Industrialisation brought a shift from agriculture to factory
• An educated workforce was needed to run/work in factories
• Higher standard of living led to improved mortality rate
Are children better off now than in the past? How has the position of children changed?
March of progress view Conflict view
• Aries&Shorter say YES • Marxists & Feminist say NO
• Children are more valued • Gender, Ethnicity & Class all impact on a child’s experience
• Better cared for • child labour laws force children to be more dependent on
• Protected & educated adults than ever
• Enjoy better health • Adults have control over children
• Have more rights • Controls over children’s space, time, bodies & access to
• Family is ‘child centred’ resources
• Parents ‘invest’ emotionally & financially in their • This causes neglect & abuse
children
The different views of the future of childhood.
Is “childhood” Postman says YES
disappearing? • Children have the same rights as adults
• Children wear similar clothes to adults
• Children commit adult crimes
• He blames TV & ‘social blurring’
Iona Opie says NO
• Researched children's games, rhymes & songs
• Found that a separate children's culture still existed
The globalisation • West's notion of childhood is spreading across the globe
of western • Campaigners are against ‘street’ children & child labour in third world countries
childhood • However that is their norm & culture – are we right to impose our norms on different societies?
Ambiguities of Pester Power:Children can influence what adults buy through ‘pester power’
childhood Young & sophisticated: youngchildren are wearing makeup and growing up quickly
Toxic Childhood • Palmer: Technological & cultural changes have damaged children physically, emotionally &
intellectually
• Obesity
• Working parents
• Video games
• SATs