Families - Childhood

Social construct

Something that exists because people/society agree it exists e.g. Gender

Is Social construct - Culturally (Ennew)

Jamaica, children seen as part of the workforce, last priority is play

Is Social construct - Culturally (Benedict)

Children in nonindustrial societies expected to be more responsible at home, to work, less value on obeying adults

Is Social construct - Culturally Fact

150 million children in developing countries involved in child labour

Is Social construct - Over time (Aries)

Studied medieval paintings: childhood didn’t exist, seen as ‘mini adults’ with some rights, skills and duties. Most were uneducated, so most adults and young had childlike qualities

Is Social construct - Over time (Postman)

Invention of the printing press in 15th Century allowed texts to be mass printed, meaning more access to knowledge. Adulthood became based on ‘reading competency’. Leads to information hierarchy as adults have access to info about sex, money, violence, death etc.

Is Social construct - Over time Fact

Changes since the 1800’s/1900’s:

• Lower infant mortality rate

• Specialist knowledge about children’s health has developed

• Laws banning child labour

• Minimum age for activities e.g. alcohol

Is Social construct - Ethnicity (Branner)

Asian parents are more likely to be strict towards their children, especially their daughters

Is Social construct - Gender (Oakley)

‘Canalisation’ - the way parents ‘channel’ their children towards gender appropriate toys, activites and behaviours

Is Social construct - Gender (Hillman)

Boys are allowed more freedom than girls and are expected to be more independent, allowed to go out alone at night.

Is Social construct - Social Class

• Working Class have part time work as teens

• Differences in parental value placed on education

• Differences in access to opportunities and toys

NOT a Social construct - Gender (Hillman)

Boys allowed more freedom than girls, expected to be independent, girls expected to do housework, boys allowed to go out alone at night

NOT a Social construct - Social Class (Howard)

Poor diet in WC means children are more likely to die in infancy, do worse at school, be on child protection register

NOT a Social construct - Ethnicity (Brannen)

Asian parents more likely to be strict towards their daughters

Evidence against childhood as a Social Construct

• Biological differences in cognitive and physical ability

• Need time for socialisation to occur

• Laws in medieval times still banned marriage for under 12’s

Inequalities between Children and Adults - Firestone

Extensive care and protection of childcare from adults is oppression - why should adults have control over kids? We have blocked children from work.

Inequalities between Children and Adults - Gittins

There is an age patriarchy - adults have power over children. This can be abused and lead to their oppression. They control children through:

• Time

• Space

• Bodies

• Access to resources

Childhood is a negative time - Hockey and James

Children often try to act ‘older’, such as not wanting to be called a child, drinking, smoking. If childhood is so good, why do some children resist being seen as a child. It is a status most want to escape

Childhood is a negative time - Cockett and Tripp

Increase in divorce, children from divorced families are more likely to experience emotional and behavioural problems, and step-parents are often a source of stress for children

Childhood is a negative time - Palmer

Rapid technological changes lead to a ‘toxic childhood’, which damages children’s development. E.g. junk food, computer games, marketing for kids, increasing exams, social media etc. UK youth is near the top end of international league tables for obesity, mental health

March of Progress view

Childhood has improved over time

Child-centredness (Aries)

Childhood has improved, as society has become more focused around children e.g. toys, books for kids. Families are increasingly child-centred: educational, physcological, medical needs better cared for

Other factors supporting March of progress view

• Smaller family sizes

• Lower infant mortality rates

• Parents choosing to work part time

• Paediatricians and books on raising children

• Compulsory education

• Children as consumers

• Laws banning things such as child labour, smoking etc.

Statistics on child labour

• Between 2005 and 2022, more than 105,000 children were used in conflict

• More than 200 million children worldwide are involved in labour

• 26% of African children are currently working. 50,000 in prostitution etc, 120,000 being coerced to be child soldiers

• Child labour is concentrated primarily in agriculture (70.9%)