Child centered society

The emergence of a child centered society resulted in a number of related developments-

  • Improved living standards/ wages, housing, sanitation, maternal health- led to a decline in infant mortality rates

  • Children were needed less as economic assets and raising children became more expensive resulting in parents choosing to have less children

  • Increase and availability in contraception allowed people to have less children

  • Cultural expectations about childhood changed as media defined childhood as a separate category from adulthood

  • Government became more involved in childhood- compulsory education, social services, social workers, child benefits to parents

  • Children’s act 2004 produced Every child matters policy which focuses on children’s wellbeing until age 19/ makes them healthier and safe

Interpretivist sociologist Morrow found children did not want to make decisions for themselves but want a say in what happens to them

Childhood isn’t a universal experience and it changes based upon different social factors

  • Children in some countries are at risk of death due to poverty and lack of basic health care. Unlikely to have education and find themselves carrying out adult roles

  • Childhood experiences may differ across Ethnic and religious groups

  • May differ across social classes- Upper-class children may spend most there time in boarding school unlike working class who may experience poverty

  • May differ across gender role socialisation- Evident girls are subjected to stricter control from parents

  • Some children may have a damaging childhood- Neglect, physical abuse and sexual abuse

However, new right thinkers believe that children have been given too many rights in recent years and think its wrong parents are criticised for punishing children. Believe children have been exposed to the adult world too soon

  • Postman and Palmer agree and believe parents are too happy to let children use television and video games to keep them quiet

  • Phillips believes that the media and peer group have become more influental than parents and sees the media more aimed at children- He believes that issues such as suicide, eating disorders, drug issues are all direct results of these