What are some definitions of childhood?
+ examples of laws relating to childhood
- state which is both socially & biologically constructed
- period of time when a person has not yet reached adult status
- children are fundamentally different kinds of human beings
+ drink alcohol in a private home in the UK= age 5
+ be convicted of a criminal offence in the UK=10
+ Get married in Brazil without consent from parents= age 21
Why do some sociologists argue childhood is a biological fact?
+ example of a sociologist
- children are passive and allow their parents to look after them
- seen as distinctly different to adulthood (puberty)
- notion of separateness (they need to be protected & nurtured before joining the outside world)
+ Archer
Why do some sociologists believe childhood is socially constructed?
+ example of a sociologist
- different cultures interpret childhood in different ways
- roles of childhood change within societies
e.g stroppy teenager idea introduced post-war after creation of extended schooling & rise of youth culture - ‘no single universal childhood experienced by all’ (+ Wagg)
What is the Western notion of childhood?
+ example of a sociologist and how their idea can be applied
Children are seen as vulnerable and in need of protection
+ Pilcher (important feature of modern idea of childhood is separateness)
- children have no economic independence
- children have a lack of responsibilty
- children must attend school
- children cannot go into certain places
In what 3 ways does Benedict claim children are seen and treated differently in other times and places?
(+ examples)
- how can this research be criticised?
1) Take responsibility at an early age
+ in Bolivia’s rural communities children are expected to take on work responsibilities from age 5
2) Less value placed on showing obedience to adult authority
+ adults in western pacific community not to assume children should obey them
3) Sexual behaviour is often viewed differently
+ an island in west Pacific had adults which showed an attitude of ‘tolerance & amused interest’ towards children’s sexual activities
- not representative of the whole world
- some of these exist in western cultures
- holds one opinion as higher
What is the Globalisation of childhood?
the idea that international humanitarian and welfare agencies e.g Save the Children & UNICEF have exported & imposed western norms of childhood in developing countries
(these are often rejected due to beliefs & tradition)
What was Aries argument for how childhood has changed over time?
Pre 1600
- used paintings to show how children were ‘treated as little adults’
1700-1800
- children seen as ‘economic assets’ during the Industrial Revolution as they could go to work
- children were not shown much affection as there was a high IMR & dangerous child labour
1800-1900
- children banned from factories & forced to to go to school
- WC and MC children seen differently (WC as a burden & MC as having more potential)
1900-1950
- child-centred society emerged
- realities of life hidden from children e.g Santa, films etc & their own culture was created
Post 1950
- children have a growing awareness of their rights & empowerment e.g pester power & Childline
- advertisements targeted at children as they are much more susceptible to ‘fads’ & have influence over their parents
How can Aries’ methods & views be criticised?
-which sociologists criticised him?
+ only very wealthy could afford paintings (not representative)
+ paintings were changed to make it look better (not valid)
+ children may not have experienced less affection in earlier centuries
+ realities of life not hidden from children e.g war, physical abuse etc
- Pollack (childhood has always been around- children treated as inferior and subject to abuse as written in diaries)
- Cunnigham (children depicted as innocents in Renaissance Art)
What are the reasons for changes in childhood?
+ what are these argued to have been enabled by?
1) Laws restricting child labour
2) Age specific laws
3) Medical knowledge
4) Lower infant mortality
5) Idea of children’s rights
6) Child protection laws
7) Compulsory schooling
+ industrialisation
What are some laws/policies concerning children?
1944 Butler Act
1989 Children’s Act
1991 Child Support Agency
2003 Ministry of Education set up w ‘every child matters’ policy
2013 Education extended to 18
2017 UK wide protection from online pornography
2020 Scotland & Wales ban smacking as ‘reasonable punishment’
Which sociologists/perspectives argue childhood has disappeared & why?
+ (Postman) due to rise of mass media & TV children have more access to adult world and boundaries between adulthood and childhood broken down
+ (Libertarians) positive thing and due to introduction of laws giving children more rights
+ (New Right) bad thing as children need to be protected & hidden from world. Children are exposed to more e.g porn, gambling, social media, violence etc and are undisciplined/lack respect for authority.
Which sociologist/perspectives argue childhood hasn’t disappeared & why?
- (Jenks) parents have become obsessed with protecting their children via restrictions e.g trackers due to media exposure of abuse/abduction cases.
Divorce has led to greater emphasis on relationships - (Lee) Postman exaggerated as children just have more awareness & are their own economic force. Childhood is just more complicated not gone.
- (Functionalist) children have their own culture & adults spend lots of time and energy protecting them e.g tutoring, Santa
- (Marx & Fem) bad thing as childhood oppressed women & proletariat and toys amplify gender roles. e.g gendered sports & child poverty
Arguments for & against the existence of childhood today
+ biological differences
+ treated differently via laws
+ child-specific products/sections
+ controlled in many ways
+ access to different media
+ obedience to adults & rules
- technology access allows for more independence
- social media encourages more maturity
- clothing is v similar to adults
- video games
- stress for children
What was Palmer’s view on “Toxic Childhood”?
- childrens’ attention was poorer & language declining
- negative movement on TVs into children’s rooms as they are exposed to danger & aren’t interacting
- more developmental conditions
- changes in parenting and childcare
- “electronic village” now exists
- replaced one to one interactions w virtual experiences
- more pressurised education
How do some sociologists argue there are inequalities between children & adults?
+ what does Gittens call this?
what evidence is there to support this?
(how do child liberationists argue there are inequalities among children?)
- neglect & abuse
- controls over children’s spaces
- controls over children’s time
- controls over children’s bodies
- controls over children’s access to resources
+ ‘age patriarchy’
seen in domestic violence cases & children ‘acting up or down’ to resist the oppression
(inequalities in terms of opportunities and risks due to nationality, class, ethnicity & gender differences)
What is the ‘new sociology of childhood’?
+ sociologist?
- aims to include the views & experiences of the children themselves while they are living though childhood
- children aren’t passive victims in divorce but actively try to better the situation
- allows diversity in childhood to be explored
+ Smart
Arguments that childhood has improved & arguments that childhood has not improved
+ Legal protection & rights
+ Smaller family size= child centred
+ (Donzelot) lots of child specialists
+ (Pilcher) growing number of products aimed at children
- inequalities between children
- (Gittens) ‘age patriarchy’
- neglect & abuse
- (Palmer) ‘toxic childhood’
- child obesity
