What does social construction of childhood mean?
The concept of CH is socially constructed defined by society
How can we show childhood is socially constructed?
Carrying out cross cultural and historical comparisons
Name a cross cultural comparison study
Children in the developing world
What did Townsend (2003) do?
- Collect data from 46 developing countries
- Found 1/3 C suffer absolute poverty
- 1/3 C aged 7-18 have never been to school
- Over 375 million use unsafe water sources
What is Joseph Kony’s LRA?
- Kidnaps children and turns them into soldiers
- Makes them kill their parents
- In Uganda
- Estimated 30,000 affected
What did Ruth Benedict (1934) do?
- Summarise differences C are treated in non-industrial societies
- Argues they take responsibility from much earlier age, less value is placed on C being obedient to A and sexual behaviour is viewed differently
What did Ruth Benedict suggest?
The differences demonstrate a less dividing line between CH and AH in non-western areas
What did Aries ‘A Century of CH’ suggest?
- Studied paintings from 15th and 16th Century
- C we’re difficult to spot
- Led him to conclude C did not lead sep lives
Problems of Aries study
- Not accurate
- From an A perspective
- May not be illustrated correctly
- Doesn’t represent class sufficiently
What did Shorter (1975) suggest?
- Parental attitudes to C in early 15th & 16th Century were very diff to today
- High DR amongst C led to indifference & neglect
What we’re family units like in mid-nineteenth century?
Very patriarchal, with the man being the authority figure
What act was passed in 1819?
Made illegal for children under 9 to work in cotton mills
When was children banned from working in textile mills?
1833
what was the 1842 act?
Miners Act: children under 10 and women were banned from working in mines
Act in 1810?
Children between 5-10 must attend school
What did the growing speed of technological change mean?
Adults were frequently unable to pass knowledge and skills trusties for work. Meant compulsory education needed
When was compulsory education enforced?
1870s
Reasons for a more child centred society?
- Welfare state support for children
- Children’s legal rights
- Early years education and compulsory schooling
- Minister for Children and Children’s Commissionsr
What does Lloyd De Mause state about CH?
That the history of CH is a nightmare form which we have only just recently begun to awaken. Further back we go the lower the level of CC and more likely children to be killed, abused etc
What did Aries & Shorter believe about the improvement of CH?
- C are more valued, better cared for, educated etc
- C are protected from harm and exploitation by laws
What is the march of progress view about the child centred family?
Higher living standards & smaller family sizes mean parents can afford to provide for C’s needs properly
What is the conflict view on inequalities among C?
- C of diff nationalities experience diff CH
- 90% of worlds low BW are in developing countries
What does the CV sociologists Hellman 1993 and Bonke 1999 say?
Hellman: boys are more likely to go out later
Bonke: girls are more likely to do DL especially in line parent families
The conflict view on inequalities between children and adults
- Argue A use power for the benefit and protection of C
- Firestone (1979) and Holt (1974) at this care and protection are new forms of control
