Childhood

How is childhood defined?

How is childhood defined?

→ A social construct, defined by society

→ Differs between time/place/culture

Modern western notions of childhood

→ We accept childhood as a separate time of life

• children are different to adults, immature/incompetent

→ Give kids a lengthy period of nurture/socialisation before joining adult society

Pilcher -- western childhood

Most important part of modern idea of childhood is separateness

→ Distinct clear life stage

→ Occupies separate status from adults

Key parts of western childhood

→ Laws regulating childrens lives + what they can/cant do

• e.g. labour laws

→ Difference in culture; dress, toys, food, books, entertainment

→ ‘Golden age’ of innocence; seen as vulnerable, needing protection

→ Life is within the family/education mostly

• Provided for/protected by adults

• Live lives of leisure/play

→ Separate age status of UK childhood is NOT UNIVERSAL

Wagg -- western vs other childhoods

Not all cultures view stages of development e.g. childhood differently

→ Childhood is unnatural

Benedict -- cross-cultural differences in childhood

Children in non-industrial society are treated differently

→ take responsibility earlier; e.g. kids in rural Bolivia work from 5yo, in Samoa children take on adult tasks

→ less value on child-adult obedience

→ view childhood sexual behaviour differently; ‘tolerance and amused interest’ towards childrens sexual exploration

→ less division between children vs adults

→ shows how childhood differs between cultures

Globalisation of western childhood

→ Notions of western childhood being globalised; imposing norms of western family via international humanitarian agencies

→ Anti child labour campaigns reflect western ideas

• children working may be a cultural norm in some countries

• ‘western-style childhood’

Eval of the globalisation of western childhood

How much impact do these campaigns really have?

Aries -- historical differences

Childhood didnt exist in Middle Ages

→ ‘mini adults’

→ same clothes, work, play, etc.

Shorter -- historical differences

High death rates encouraged indifference/neglect especially to infants

→ giving babies names of deceased siblings etc.

Aries -- modern cult of childhood

Elements of modern childhood emerged from the 13th century onwards

→ Schools specialising in the young

• church influence made children seen as ‘fragile creatures of God’

→ Growing child-centredness from 18th century among the middle class

→ Has led to the modern cult of childhood

• We are in the ‘century of the child’

Pollock -- evaluating modern cult of childhood

→ More accurate to say Middle Ages had a different notion of childhood

• Not ‘no childhood’

→ BUT helps show how childhood is constructed

Reasons for changes in childrens position

→ Laws on child labour; makes kids an economic liability

→ Compulsory schooling; extended period of dependency, effect on the poor

→ Child protection/welfare legislation; like Childrens Act, made welfare a fundamental part of agencies like social services

→ Growth of idea of childrens rights; e.g. UNCRC, parents responsible for children

→ Declining family size/IMR; parents make greater investment in their children

→ Medical knowledge of child development; theories of child dev. stress need for protecting/supervising children

→ Laws/policies on children; minimum ages for activities reinforce difference from adults

→ Industrialisation caused most of these changes

• Modern industry needs educated workforce, + higher standards of living = lower IMR

The future of childhood

→ Expected to continue to change

• e.g. modern to postmodern society

Postman -- disappearance of childhood

Childhood is ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed’

→ Due to fall of print culture, replacement by TV culture; blurring the information hierarchy

• adults were able to keep knowledge from children, TV doesnt require skill

Evaluation of disappearance of childhood

→ Shows how different types of communication tech. influence how childhood is constructed

→ Overemphasises TV’s influence on childhood

→ Evidence of a continued childrens culture

Jenks -- postmodern childhood

Childhood is changing, not disappearing

→ Modernity concerned with futurity; preparing individuals for adult life

→ Adult relationships less stable in postmodern life

• Feelings of insecurity lead to children being a source of adult stability

• When you get divorced, youre still a parent

→ Strengthens relationships with cihldren; strengthens view of them as vulnerable, because we rely on them more

→ Childhood continues to be a separate status; legal/other restrictions mark them as such

Evaluation of postmodern childhoo

→ Evidence for/against is limited

→ Overgeneralises; implies all kids in the same position

March of Progress view -- has childhood improved?

→ Position of children is better than ever

→ Writers like Aries, Shorter

→ Children are more valued/better cared for, survive more

Child-centred family -- MoP

→ Smaller family sizes = parents can afford to spend more on children

• est. 227k by age 21

→ Children are focal point of the family, parents have aspirations for them, etc.

→ Society has activities specifically designed for children

Palmer -- toxic childhood

Tech/cultural changes have damaged children’s development

→ Junk food, games, standardised testing

→ Concerned about young peoples health; above average rates of obesity/pregnancy

UNICEF -- toxic childhood

UK is 16/29 for childrens wellbeing

Conflict view -- has childhood improved?

→ Marxists/Feminists -- some groups have more power than others

→ Say MoP is rooted in idealised images, ignores inequality

• Many children are unprotected/badly cared for

• Children are controlled/oppressed

Inequalities among children -- has childhood improved?

→ Children have different experiences

• Diff nationality = different childhood

• 90% of low birth weight babies born in developing countries

• Gender/ethnicity/class

→ Means we cant speak of children generally

Hillman -- gender inequality among children

Boys more likely to be allowed to go out after dark, use buses, etc.

Bonke -- gender inequality among children

Girls do more domestic labour

Brannen -- ethnic inequality among children

Asian parents more likely to be strict to daughters

Bhatti -- ethnic inequality among children

Family honour can restrict girls’ behaviour

Class inequality among children

→ Poor mothers more likely to have low birth-weight babies; links to delayed development

→ Kids of w/c more likely to :

• have ADHD

• die in infancy

• fall behind in school

Firestone & Holt -- inequality between children and adults

Things ^^MoP ^^see as protection are actually oppression

→ ‘Protection’ from paid work forcibly makes children dependent

→ Child liberationists

Forms of control identified by child liberationists

→ Neglect/abuse; dark side to family life

→ Controls of childrens space; telling kids where to play/surveying children in public spaces

→ Controls children's time; daily routines, when theyre ‘too old/young’ for something

• Contrasts Samoans, where ‘too young’ is never a reason a child cant do something

→ Controls childrens bodies; how they move/dress, touching children in certain ways, how they touch their own bodies

• Contrasts sexual freedom of children in non industrial cultures

→ Controls access to resources; forced economic dependency

Gittens -- age patriarchy

Describes inequality between adults and children

→ How patriarchy of family oppresses children as well as women

→ Children may resist status as a child

Hockey & James -- age patriarchy

'Acting up’ and ‘acting down’

→ Acting up; acting like adults/exaggerating age (smoking/drinking)

→ Acting down; behaving in way of younger children (reverting to baby talk)

Criticism of child liberationist view

→ Control over adults is justified; kids cant make rational decisions

→ Children arent as powerless as CLs claim

New Sociology of Childhood

→ Other views in danger of seeing children as passive objects

→ ‘New sociology of childhood’ views them as active agents in creating their own cihldhood

→ Must aim to include view of children themselves as they live through childhood

Mason & TIpper -- NSOC

Children actively create definitions of who is ‘family’

→ Regarding those who arent blood related as family

Smart et al -- NSOC

Children are actively involved in making divorce better for everyone