Childhood

Question 1

Middle Ages!

Invention of childhood - Aries

Answer 1

Childhood didn’t exist in the middle ages,
Start work at an early age.
High infant mortality encouraged indifference towards infants and children.

Question 2

Methodology - Strengths and limitations?

A03 - Invention of childhood

Answer 2

:) Practical - Secondary data and existed without the researcher’s involvement. Saved time and money.
:( Lacks validity - Picture relies on an individual’s interpretation.

Question 3

What has caused the change in position of children in the 19th-20th Cent?

Answer 3

1. Compulsory school
2. Child protection legislation
3. Industrialisation
4. Laws restriciting child labour
5. Children’s rights
6. Reduced infant mortality and reduced family sizes

Question 4

Postman - Is Childhood disappearing?

Answer 4

A01 - Childhood is disappearing at a rapid speed
A02 - Children have similar rights to parents, similarity in clothing with adults, children are carrying out adult crimes including murder.
A02 - TV has introduced children to ‘adult content’ like sex and violence. Where pre 20th Cent adults could restrict child’s access to info. > Information hierarchy
EG. Murder of Jamie Bulger, led to the age of criminal responsibility being lowered to the age of 10.

Question 5

A03 - Postman

Answer 5

:) Sees the importance of TV and unsupervissed access to it.
:( Opie - studied children’s play and found little evidence of the disappearance of childhood, but its emergence.

Question 6

Is Society Child-Centred?

Answer 6

A01 - Children = focal point of the family. Due to infant mortality rate decreasing, families can family plan and invest in children.
A02 - Families spend approx. £227,000 per child up until the age of 21.
> Children have a great deal of emotional and educational investment.
> Parents have higher aspirations for children.

Question 7

Toxic Childhood - Palmer

Answer 7

A02 - Technology and junk food is used to pacify children and to compensate for the lack of time parents can spend with their children.
Number of children who die because of neglect or abuse each year in the UK = approx 50.
In 2019-20 the number of child victims of sexual abuse = 74,000.

Question 8

Childhood - Gender discrimination

Answer 8

Boys are less likely to have a curfew.
Girls are more likely to complete domestic chores.
Girls clothes and sexuality is more tightly controlled.

Question 9

Childhood - Ethnic discrimination: Bhatti

Answer 9

The concept of ‘izzat’, whereby girl’s behaviour is more tightly controlled because of honour that rests in the family.
In extreme cases, this can lead to honour crimes.

Question 10

Childhood - Class discrimination

Answer 10

Approx. 210,000 homeless children in the UK.
4x more likely to suffer from a behavioural disorder.
More likely to be placed on the child protection register because of neglect.
Scientific studies show that low birth weights can lead to stunted growth and intelligence.