childhood as a social construct

what’s a social construct?

• something created and defined by society. childhood varies between times, places and cultures

what’s the modern western notion of childhood?

• we see childhood as a special time. Children are seen as different from adults due to physical and psychological immaturity- children need a lengthy period of time to become ready for adult responsibilities

what could be seen as the most important feature of modern childhood?

seperateness

how is seperateness highlighted? (3)

• laws which regulate what children can/cannot do compared to adults

• differences in dress compared to adults

• products/services specifically created for children

what age is childhood seen as?

golden age of happiness/ innocence

where is this view taken?

not universally but in western cultures

what are 3 ways children in simpler, non-industrial societies are treated differently from modern Western children?

• they take responsibility at an early age – e.g. in a Samoan village, ‘too young’ was never given as a reason for why children can’t do certain tasks

• there is less value placed on children obeying adult authority

• their sexual behaviour is viewed differently – e.g. Tobrian Islanders

what is there evidence of, in modern western childhood?

• the modern western notion of childhood is being globalised – e.g. welfare agencies are imposing western norms about what childhood ‘should’ be like on the rest of the world

who talks about the historical differences in childhood?

Aries

what did he say? (2)

• childhood did not exist in the Middle Ages

• children historically would start to work soon after becoming physically independent and were treated like mini adults

what did Aries use as evidence?

what did he find from this?

• using paintings from the era to show children were shown like adults on a small scale (i.e. dressed the same, working and playing together

• parental attitudes were very different to what they’re like now – high infant mortality rate led to indifference towards children – e.g. parents would often call children the name of a passed sibling or refer to babies as ‘it’

whats a disadvantage to using artwork?

subjective and may not be representative of other artwork from the time

From the 13th century onwards, attitudes towards childhood started to change – what was shown by?

• schools starting to specialise in educating only the young (not adults) as the church taught that children are ‘creatures of God’

• distinction between children and adult’s clothing – e.g. upper class boys started to dress in special outfit for age group

• childrearing handbooks became widely available showing growing child-centredness of family life

what did Aries say these changes have led to?

a modern ‘cult of childhood’

how have 19th and 20th century changes have changed the position of childhood? (7)

• laws restricting child labour

• introduction of compulsory schooling (1880)

• child protection and welfare legislation

• growing ideas about children’s rights

• declining family size and lower infant mortality

• children’s development becoming the subject of medical knowledge

• laws and policies applying specifically to children

explain laws restricting children labour?

children moved from being economic assets to economic liabilities who depend on parents financially

explain introduction of compulsory schooling?

made children across all social classes dependent on adults, dependency period also extended by raising school leaving age

explain child protection and welfare legislation?

e.g. making child cruelty illegal, making child welfare a fundamental principle of work by agencies like Social Services

explain growing ideas about children’s rights?

e.g. UN Convention on the Rights of the Child laying down basic rights for children (entitlement to healthcare and education, protection from abuse, right to participate in decisions affecting them)

explain declining family size?

parents therefore emotionally/financially invest heavily in fewer children

explain children’s development becoming the subject of medical knowledge?

child development theories showing the need for supervision/protection of children

explain laws and policies applying specifically to children?

e.g. minimum ages to reinforce differences from adults