CHILDHOOD BRIEF HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD Centuries of Childhood
CHILDHOOD
BRIEF HISTORY OF CHILDHOOD Centuries of Childhood (1962) – Philippe Aries The concept of childhood did not exist in medieval Europe Based on contemporary letters, diaries and other documents as well as the way children were depicted at the time Weaned little adults and treated as such Worked alongside adults Behaved like adults in many ways
Why might there be problems in using evidence such as paintings and diaries to understand life?
MODERN CHILDHOOD Developed from the separation of children from the work of adults Began in the 16 th C – upper classes sent their children to schools to be educated Industrial revolution child labour 19 th C factory acts banned employment of children in mines and factories End of 19 th C elementary state education became compulsory in European countries
MODERN CHILDHOOD Children now had a separate legal status Accompanied by development of adults specialising in children Aries Our world is obsessed with the physical, moral and sexual problems of childhood Children have different needs
EVALUATION Criticised for overstating his case There were laws in medieval Europe e. g. Prohibition of the marriage of children under 12 Many historians agree with this view, however.
IMAGES OF CHILDHOOD Wendy Rogers (2001) Social construction of childhood in 20 th C Europe ‘innocent and wholesome child’ and ‘wicked and sinful child’ Each image suggests a way of acting toward children These views suggest that adults should be concerned with children and take responsibility for their upbringing
IMAGES OF CHILDHOOD Welfare View Forms the basis of social policy toward children in the UK today Children Act of 1989 ‘when a court determines any question with respect to the upbringing of a child…the child’s welfare shall be the court’s paramount consideration’
IMAGES OF CHILDHOOD Control View Argues that children are unable to control their antisocial tendencies Rogers ‘there is no natural distinction that marks off children as a certain category of person’ – meaning given to childhood at a time and place
In pairs, describe a day in the life of a 5 year old in Britain today. How many times a day might that child be controlled by adults? Use the headings: Control over time Control over space Control over bodies Access to resources
MARCH OF PROGRESS VIEW Argues that over the past few centuries the position of children in Western societies has been steadily improving and today it is better than it has ever been De Mause (1974) “The history of childhood is a nightmare from which we have only recently begun to awaken. The further back in history one goes, the lower the level of childcare, and the more likely children are to be killed, abandoned, beaten, terrorised or sexually abused”
MARCH OF PROGRESS VIEW Aries has a March of Progress View Children are more valued Better care More protection Better educated Better health More rights Think about the IMR as well Family has become child centred Society has also become child centred Tweens
CONFLICT VIEW ‘March of Progress’ view is false Society is based on conflict There are inequalities between children – risk and care, many remain unprotected Inequalities between children and adults – experience greater control, oppression and dependency, not care and protection
NEGLECT AND ABUSE In 2006 31, 400 children were on child protection registers (mostly seen at risk from their own parents) Child. Line 20, 000 calls a year (sexual or physical abuse) ‘Dark side’ of the family
CONTROL OVER SPACE ‘no schoolchildren’ Surveillance Road safety 1971 80% of 7 -8 yr olds allowed to go to school without supervision 1990 fallen to 9% Hugh Cunningham (2007) Areas in which children are allowed to travel alone has shrunk to one ninth of the size it was 25 years ago Cindi Katz (1993) Rural Sudanese children roam freely around the village and outside of it
CONTROL OVER TIME Samoans ‘too young’ never given as an excuse Control Over Bodies Adults have control and prevent the child from touching their own bodies in certain ways too Contrast with Trobriand Islands
Resources Money! Labour laws Compulsory schooling Child benefit goes to the…. parents Pocket money given by…. parents (control) Katz Sudanese children already engaged in productive work from three or four
CRITICS OF THIS VIEW Reasons for this age patriarchy children cannot make rational choices (welfare view) In the same way, children are not totally powerless: 1989 Children Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child children have a legal right to be protected and consulted
THE FUTURE OF CHILDHOOD Postman (1994) – childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed Similarity in clothing Same rights as adults Reason: the rise and fall of print culture and then TV culture
ACTIVITY Suggest 3 examples of ways in which children’s activities, leisure, dress or food and those of adults have become similar in recent years…
Postman has been criticised for overstating his case: Childhood is a long way from disappearing Children have become a major economic force: Taste in consumer goods have a major influence on what is produced and purchased (Buckingham, 2000)
Nick Lee (2001) Children are both dependent and independent Children are dependent on their parents but in another sense are independent – mass market Childhood has become more complex and ambiguous
A SEPARATE CHILDHOOD CULTURE Opie (1993) – childhood is not disappearing. Argues that there is strong evidence of the continued existence of a separate children’s culture. The lifetime study on children’s games, rhymes and songs shows that children can do and create their own independent culture separate of that of adults O
WHAT IS CHILDHOOD NOW? ? Palmer (2006) – toxic childhood Computer games, junk food, long work by parents have damaged children’s development Commercialisation of childhood
WHAT IS CHILDHOOD NOW? Margo & Dixon (2006) – UK youth are at or near the top of international league tables for obesity, self harm, drug abuse, violence, sexual experiences and teenage pregnancies. 2007 – UNICEF survey ranked UK 21 st of 25 for children’s well being What does this say about childhood? Why do you think this happened?
Kids with Guns
CHILDHOOD THROUGH THE AGES http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=z. B 2 g. PZRsz 0 Q http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=bojx 9 BDp. Jks http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Ca. ZONLa. B 1 a. Q
THE CROSSOVER OF ENTERTAINMENT http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=Cm. Wifl. T 0 pvc http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=fa. Rl. Fs. Ymke. Y http: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=W 1203 cl. OZt 4
In groups create a tv advert that crosses two generations – think of a product (toy, game, film) you could sell that appeals to both adults and children alike You have 15 minutes to come up with your advert then you will show the rest of the class
KEY TERMS Childhood Child Centred Social Construction Economic asset Economic burden/liability Infant mortality rate March of progress view Cross-cultural Disappearance of childhood Social blurring Age patriarchy
ESSAY QUESTION Assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood (24 marks) Examine the reasons for the change in the status of children since industrialisation (24 marks) Examine the reasons for changes in the position of children in the last 200 years (24 marks) Assess the view that childhood is not a fixed universal experience (24 marks)
QUESTIONS 1. Explain what is meant by the social construction of childhood 2. Benedict identifies three ways in which childhood in nonindustrial cultures often differs from childhood in the west. State two of these 3. Why are children less of an economic asset to their parents today than they were in the past 4. Give one example of class differences between children 5. What is age patriarchy? 6. Why does Postman believe childhood is disappearing?
ANSWERS 1. What is meant by ‘childhood’ differs between societies and depends on time, place and culture. 2. Children take responsibility at an earlier age: less value placed on them showing obedience; their sexual behaviour is often viewed differently. 3. Because they cannot work, even part-time, until they are at least 13 years old. 4. Among poorer children these are more likely: low birth weight; delayed development; higher infant mortality rates; longstanding illness; hyperactivity and conduct disorders; falling behind at school; being on the child protection register 5. Adult domination/ control and child dependence. 6. Because television is destroying the information hierarchy between adults and children and giving children access to knowledge that hitherto only adults only possessed.
EXAM QUESTION Examine the ways in which childhood can be said to be socially constructed. (24 marks)
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