Studied by 3 peopleWagg on childhood
there is no one universal experience of childhood and as such it is socially constructed
how does sociology differ from science with regards to childhood
childhood is not a biologically inevitable life stage - society creates it (this is a very structural idea)
what can we compare to show that childhood is a social ocnstruct
the modern Western experience of childhood with the experience of childhood in the past and in different societies
Punch’s study on childhood
studied childhood in Bolivia:
children are expected to take on work responsibilities in the home and community from the age of 5
how does childhood in Bolivia differ from the modern Western experience of childhood
at the age of five, children in the West are dependents
young adults often get jobs but this is not legally expected until 18 or finished with education
this can be criticised in that this experience does not extend to all modern Western groups, such as young carers
Malinowski’s study on childhood
lived with the Trobriand Islanders for some time and observed that they were tolerant of children’s sexuality and took an ‘amused interest’ in children exploring their sexuality and becoming sexually aware
what method was Malinowski’s study on childhood
a participant observation/ ethnography
how does childhood in the Trobriand Islanders differ from modern Western childhood
childhood is characterised with innocence
there is implementation of the age of consent, before which there is a belief that children should not engage with becoming sexually aware
there is also a culture that a child couldn’t possibly be aware of their sexual orientation
why is it a problem to talk about one single experience of childhood in the UK
postmodern, multi-cultural society
some children are young carers
some children have experiences/ trauma which causes them to mature faster out of necessity
why might retirement also be considered a social construct
the age of retirement regularly changes according to changing life expectancy; it also hasn’t always existed as a legal right
has childhood always existed as a concept
no
Aries on childhood
it is a relatively recent concept, emerging during the modern era
it was not recognised before some time between the 17th and 20th century
according to Aries, how were children seen before 1600
as mini adults, expected to take part in adult roles; children were not a group protected by laws and they were punished for crimes the same as adults
what was the methodology for Aries study on childhood
secondary qualitative data
argued that Medieval paintings of children showed them wearing adult clothes and expressions (criticism: how do we define adult expressions?)
Shorter on childhood
childhood emerged during the 17th century because fewer children were dying in infancy so parents began to have closer relationships with them and the ideology of the family began to emerge
what are the criticisms of Aries’ study on childhood
Pollack - criticises Aries’ use of highly limited and selective sources for his research, particularly as these paintings would have only been commissioned by the upper classes, who would have wanted to illicit respect (explaining their dressing of their children in a certain way)
Wilson - Aries claims that the part was unaware of children’s needs whereas they may just have been different needs
when was industrialisation
1750-1900
what was industrialisation
the shift from an economy based on agriculture to one based on machinery
how does industrialisation contradict Aries
childhood didn’t emerge for all groups at the same time - industrialisation led to a continuation of child labour for working class children
why might working class children have been expected to continue to work during industrialisation
poverty
the lack of education for the working class
how may the function of the family during industrialisation have led to a continuation of children working
the ideology of the family was that it was a unit of production, and within this children were an economic asset
how did the changing function of the family after industrialisation lead to a decrease in children working
the ideology of the family changed and it became seen as a unit of consumption, and within this children became an economic burden
how did a lack of government involvement lead to a continuation of children working in industrialisation
the Welfare state had not yet been developed and so children were expected to help care for sick and/or elderly relatives
how does the Welfare state support children in modern Western Britain
free school meals
universal education
universal healthcare (some things that have to be paid for as an adult are free to children eg. opticians)
benefits for poorer households
what idea about children does the Welfare state promote
they are dependents (they are defined as a vulnerable group)
how could it be argued that the Welfare state is failing to help children (as well as the elderly and sick, other dependent groups)
the waiting times for the NHS/ underfunding of the NHS
the cost of living crisis - some families are having to choose between heating their homes or putting food on the table
what is generally accepted about childhood in the West
it is a special time of life and children are fundamentally different from adults
how are children perceived in the West today
physically and psychologically immature
not yet competent to run their own lives
in need of protection
in need of socialisation to learn to become a responsible adult
having rights and some (though not all) responsibilities
how does the Western perception of childhood relate to functionalism
the idea that children need to be socialised to become responsible adults relates to the functionalist view of the function of education
for what laws is the Western notion of childhood used to justify
the age of consent is 16
the age of voting is 18 (because they are seen as psychologically immature, and dependents, so would potentially be regurgitating their parents’ views)
why is it argued that the voting age should be lowered
the government makes policies that affect everyone, including children - an example of this is Brexit
Pilcher on childhood
the modern Western view of childhood sees children as separate from adults and sees childhood as a distinct life stage
how has introduction of new laws led to an emergence of childhood in the UK
there are laws restricting what children can and can’t do - eg. alcohol consumption
there are laws around the age of consent for sex and marriage
education is compulsory until the age of 18
the law describes children as ‘vulnerable people’
how have products and services led to an emergence of childhood in the UK
some products are marketed specifically towards children, further separating them from adults
what lifestyle do children typically have in the UK
one dominated by leisure activities, making childhood the ‘golden age’ that Pilcher describes it as
how are children protected from the adult world in the UK
through safeguarding laws, and keeping them in the protective bubble of family life
according to the New Right, whose responsibility is it to keep children separate from the adult world
the family’s - they would be concerned that the state are taking on the role of the ‘responsible parent’, as they are anti-state intervention
which theory would argue that the modern Western notion of childhood is becoming globalised
postmodernism
what is an example of the modern Western notion of childhood becoming globalised
campaigns against child labour, which reflect Western ideals as to what childhood should be like
what is a criticism for the globalisation of the modern Western notion of childhood
it is ignoring the cultures and traditions of other societies
eg. it may be normal for children to work as important preparation for adult life
the Western notion of childhood is not always better
there are still children in the West living in severe poverty, and children from different social groups are treated differently
what is a report that shows the modern Western notion of childhood is not always better
the UK Good Child Report
what were the results of the UK Good Child Report
from looking at data from 2018 and 2021, it can be seen that there is a continuing downward trajectory of children’s happiness
what was achieved by the Factory Acts in the 1800s
they prevented children from working
what effect did the Factory Acts have on the family
the family was no longer a complete unit of production as children couldn’t work, and as children became economic burdens as a result of this, the family became a unit of consumption
when was the Every Child Matters policy introduced
2004
when was the law introduced that made education compulsory until the age of 18
2007
how have laws and policies increased age patriarchy
by making education compulsory and children economically dependent, more power has been given to adults
how has the emergence of childhood negatively affected children, specifically young adults
the emergence of childhood has led to age patriarchy, and a perpetuation of the idea that children are incapable of making decisions about their own life, and thus young adults under the age of 18 do not have the right to vote on policy that will affect them
what word can be used to describe society today in relation to children
childcentric
when was The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC)
1989
name some of the rights that children have today
the right to education and welfare, as well as protection from harm, and parents have a responsibility to protect them
how has the birth rate affected the emergence of childhood
parents today are having fewer children, which leads to them being able to invest more time, money, and emotion into the children they do have
what was the birth rate in 2018
11.1 live births per 1000 of the population
what was the birth rate in 1947
20.5 live births per 1000 of the population
there has been growing interest in child development and the best way to raise them - how has this contributed to the emergence of childhood
children are identified as a unique and separate group with unique challenges that the state cares for
Donzelot on childhood
theories of childhood development emphasise the need to supervise and protect children - this supervision is another way for the state to check parenting
what would the New Right use Donzelot’s argument as evidence of
the Nanny State
how has austerity affected the experience of childhood
the experience of childhood has worsened for working class families, as poverty and homelessness increases
these have increased further during the cost of living crisis
this means services that provide for children and ensure their welfare, such as mental health services for children, have been cut back on
which theories are more likely to take a March of Progress view in relation to childhood
functionalism and liberal feminism
which theorists believe childhood has improved
Aries, Shorter, Pilcher
what is the Working Together to Safeguard Children Act (2018)
an act that requires all agencies from schools to police etc work together to safeguard children, as Safeguarding Partners
what are some results of the Working Together to Safeguard Children Act (2018)
the creation of
the Safeguarding Review Panel
the Child Death Overview
what are some of the recent laws that have increased protection of children
Children and Social Work Act (2017)
Working Together to Safeguard Children (2018)
Internet Safety Strategy (2018)
what did the Children and Social Work Act set out
corporate parenting principles for local councils with regards to children in their care
which theorists are more likely to take a conflict view of childhood
marxists and feminists
Brannen on children
there are inequalities between children based on ethnicity - Asian parents are much stricter towards their daughters than parents from other ethnic groups
Howard on children
there are inequalities between children based on class - children from lower income families are more likely to die in infancy, perform poorly in education, and be placed on a child protection register
Hillman on children
there are inequalities between children based on gender - boys are less protected and heavily supervised than girls
Gittins on children
there are inequalities between children and adults - categorising children as a separate group from adults results in age patriarchy, wherein adults have control over children
in what ways are children controlled and oppressed by adults
neglect and abuse
control over children’s space
control over children’s time
control over access to resources
technological exploitation
how many children were on child protection registers in 2019
52,500
according to the NHS in 2018, how many children are obese between the ages of 2 and 15
almost a third
why is there control over children’s access to resources
children cannot earn money for themselves
how much have referrals of child abuse images online surged by in the last 5 years
700%
how many people in the UK present some kind of sexual threat to children online
80,000
how many school children have sent a nude or semi-nude image to an adult
1 in 50
how does Donzelot argue that childhood has improved
more surveillance of children by the state means that parents are aware their behaviour towards their children is being monitored, so are less likely to be abusive
give an example of how the state surveys parents’ treatment of children
safeguarding at schools
how is smacking an example of Donzelot’s point
parents are less likely to smack their children as smacking has visible signs that child protection agencies are looking out for
Palmer on childhood
today’s society is seeing a rise in the toxic childhood
what is a toxic childhood
a childhood where socialisation is being replaced by technology and junk food consumption, and children’s emotional, physical, and intellectual development is being damaged
which theory is most likely to agree with Palmer’s points
postmodernism
Postman on childhood
childhood is disappearing as social blurring is occurring
what is social blurring
the process by which the lines between adulthood and childhood become blurred
Jenks on postmodern childhood
the postmodern era is characterised by uncertainty and risk, and things like divorce for families; amongst this, children serve as a permanent and stable source of identity, and so parents may become obsessed with protecting them
Mason and Tipper on childhood
children have more power than other sociologists might believe because they can:
have more say in family life
have a say in who they see as important in family relationships, as biological ties are less important
Morrow on childhood
children have a greater say in family discussions and decision making
Note
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