Childhood

Question 1

social construction of childhood

Answer 1

Childhood is considered a social construct because certain characteristics of childhood are influenced by society. These include the period of childhood, the point where a child becomes an adult, and children’s rights and responsibilities. These can vary depending on society and moment in history

Question 2

Childhood and innocence

Answer 2

Childhood is often retrospectively viewed as a time of innocence. According to this view, children have yet to be negatively influenced by society and are naive, rather than ignorant. A “loss of innocence” is a common concept, and is often seen as an integral part of coming of age

Question 3

Cultural variations of childhood

Answer 3

religion, work, education, language, food, discipline and many more. Childhoods are shaped by different cultures across the world

Question 4

Age Patriarchy

Answer 4

inequalities between adults and children. Age Patriarchy of adult domination and child dependency. Acting up - Children engaging in adult activities e.g smoking, drinking alcohol etc. Acting Down - A child acting as a much younger child

Question 5

March of Progress

Answer 5

he position of children in western societies has been steadily improving and today is better than it has ever been

Question 6

Modern childhood & Child-centeredness

Answer 6

Contemporary society has become ‘child-centred’ for a number of reasons: Smaller families means that parents can devote for time, care and attention to each child. Shorter working hours have led to parents being able to spend more time with their children

Question 7

Impacts of social policy on Childhood

Answer 7

One of the ways social policies have affected the status of children is through the implementation of child protection and safeguarding policies. These policies are designed to protect children from harm and abuse, and to ensure their welfare is always prioritised
Child Labour Laws
Age Restrictions

Question 8

Social Class differences in childhood

Question 9

Gender differences in childhood

Answer 9

Biological females are often given more grace to step outside their prescribed gender roles. However, biological males typically have greater privileges, such as being allowed more autonomy and independence at an earlier age. They may be given fewer restrictions on appropriate clothing, dating habits, or curfew

Question 10

Ethnic differences in childhood

Answer 10

Different cultures have different patterns for family formation in terms of: The size of the family and the number of children in the household. Living with older generations in the household. Marriage type - for example, arranged marriages are common practice in many non-Western cultures

Question 11

Toxic childhood

Answer 11

Palmer suggests that, because there are working longer hours, parents are becoming more reliant on technology (such as TV and computer) to keep children occupied. Palmer argues that this dependency on technology results in ‘toxic childhood syndrome’ where children are being deprived of a proper childhood

Question 12

Disappearance of childhood

Answer 12

Many sociologists argue that the position of children in contemporary society is vastly improved from what it was in the past, while other sociologists argue that it has worsened. Sociologists, like Postman, insist that advertising and sexualisation have led to the disappearance of childhood

Question 13

Postman

Answer 13

Disappearance of childhood

Question 14

Gittins

Answer 14

age patriarchy