childhood

Question 1

SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED…

Answer 1

Sociologists see childhood as something socially constructed by society. It is their belief, that what one society sees as childhood, can be vastly different for another one.

Question 2

For sociologists, childhood is affected by many different variables. These include:

Answer 2

Different times in history
different places
different cultures

Question 3

Stephen Wagg (1992):

Answer 3

Childhood is socially constructed. It is in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times & in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood, experienced by all’. So childhood isn’t natural and should be distinguished from mere biological differences.

Question 4

JANE PILCHER (1995)

Answer 4

‘Modern Childhood is defined through Separateness’.

Question 5

Childhood is treated differently in non-industrial societies in 3 ways:

Answer 5

1) More responsibility at an earlier age.
2) Less value placed on obedience to adult authority.
3) Sexual Behaviour is Viewed differently

Question 6

1) More responsibility at an earlier age.
Punch (2001)

Answer 6

Punch (2001) points out that in rural Bolivia 5 year-olds are expected to take work responsibilities in the home (and not question them).

Question 7

2) Less value placed on obedience to adult authority.
Firth (1970)

Answer 7

Firth (1970) found that the Tikopia of the Western Pacific believe that children are well within their rights to dismiss orders from parents . Parents must earn the child’s respect.

Question 8

3) Sexual Behaviour is Viewed differently
Malinowski (1957)

Answer 8

Malinowski (1957) found that the Trobriand Islanders (South West Pacific) were tolerant (& even amused) of children’s sexual explorations.

Question 9

HISTORICAL DIFFERENCES:

Answer 9

Childhood was seen as much shorter and after infancy they became mini adults, entering the world of work and having the same rights as adults. Even the law saw them as adults serving up the same punishments.

Question 10

Aries (1973)

Answer 10

Aries uses the example of the middle ages where children were not seen differently to adults. After they passed the physical stage of dependency they were not seen as having differing needs to adults. childhood did not emerge until the 16th & 17th centuries

Question 11

Shorter (1975)

Answer 11

Children in the middle ages (up to the late 19th century) were often treated with indifference due to high deaths rates i.e. Lack of emotional bonds.

Question 12

The ‘March of progress’

Answer 12

Both Aries and Shorter argue that the children are more valued, better cared for, protected, educated, have better health than previous generations before.

Question 13

TOXIC CHILDHOOD? Sue Palmer 2007

Answer 13

Sue Palmer (2007): Rapid technological growth in the last 25 years has seen children being damaged physically, intellectually and emotionally.

Question 14

the conflict view on the march of progress

Answer 14

Conflict sociologists, such as Marxists and Feminists dispute the march of progress view.
For them the view ignores the inequalities in childhood
1. There are inequalities among children. Many children today are badly neglected and poorly treated
2. There are inequalities between children and adults. Children today face tighter control, oppression and dependency, not greater care and protection

Question 15

Jens Bonke (1999) and Mayer Hillman GENDER

Answer 15

girls are more likely to do domestic labour especially in lone parent families, where they do 5 times more housework. Mayer Hillman (1993) boys are more likely to cross the road, ride their bike on the road and go out after dark.

Question 16

Julia Brannen’s (1994)

Answer 16

found that Asian families can be far stricter on children and in particular their daughters. Ghazala Bhatti (1999) argued that family honour could place restrictions on Asian children and especially girls.

Question 17

Inequalities among children (class)

Answer 17

Poorer mothers are more likely to give birth to lower birth weight children. Which can then lead to physical and intellectual development issues.

Question 18

inequalities among children (class) CAROLINE WOODROFFE 1993

Answer 18

Caroline Woodroffe ( 1993) research discovered that children from manual workers were:
3 times more like to suffer from hyperactivity disorders.
4 times more likely to experience conduct disorders than children from professional families.

Question 19

CHILDREN VS ADULTS: the march of progress

Answer 19

Takes the position that the additional control we have over children is a positive thing.
Adults have used their power and control for the benefit of children. For example, laws against child labour.

Question 20

CHILDREN VS ADULTS: the march of progress criticisms

Answer 20

There are others who see this control in a less positive light. EG: Firestone argues that the protection against child labour is in fact a form of inequality.
Children have become more segregated, powerless and dependent.

Question 21

Inequalities between children and Adults
Neglect and Abuse

Answer 21

In 2013 43,000 children were subject to child protection plans because they were at harm of being hurt, sadly mostly from their parents. Childline receives over 20,000 calls from children a day.

Question 22

Postman (1994)

Answer 22

‘Childhood is Disappearing at a Dazzling Speed’
Due to the increasing status of children in contemporary society, some sociologists have argued that ‘Childhood’ as we know it today is slowly disappearing as a distinct phase of life.

Question 23

THE GLOBALISATION OF WESTERN CHILDHOOD

Answer 23

Child Liberationist’s argue that the ‘western’ notion of childhood is becoming globalised and is much more prevalent in third word countries. EG: the International humanitarian and Welfare agencies norms of what childhood should be.

Question 24

Postman argues that children are becoming more similar to adults.

Answer 24

There is a growing disappearance of children’s unsupervised games, emerging similarity between adults and children’s clothes and even cases of children committing adult crimes such as murder. This is due to the increase in ‘Television Culture’.

Question 25

In the Middle-Ages the majority were illiterate

Answer 25

Childhood separated from adulthood in the 19th Century with the growing commonality of the printed word. Adults had power over knowledge relating to sex, money, violence, death, etc as they were educated to read.

Question 26

Opie (1993)

Answer 26

Opie (1993) conducted a lifetime of research into children’s games, songs etc and concluded that there is an existence of a children’s culture.

Her findings contradict Postman who claims that children’s unsupervised games are dying out. Opie argues that children can, and do create their own independence from adults.

Question 27

‘POSTMODERN’ CHILDHOOD Jenks (2005)

Answer 27

Jenks (2005) doesn’t think childhood is disappearing, just changing.
As we move from modernity to ‘post-modernity, childhood is again changing.
Relationships are more unstable

Question 28

what did Pilcher mean by this

Answer 28

that childhood is a clear and a distinct stage in life, clearly defined and occupy a separate status in society from adults