Childhood

Question 1

How are children seen in modern society?

Answer 1

Seen as physically and psychologically immature and not yet ready to run their own lives.

Question 2

What is the ‘golden age’ of happiness and innocence?

Answer 2

This means that children are seen as vulnerable and need protection from the dangers of the world.
The must be kept ‘quarantined’

Question 3

What do welfare agencies believe childhood should be?

Answer 3

They think that it should be

• a separate life stage
• children are innocent
• should have no economic role

Question 4

Name 3 reasons for the changes in the position of children

Answer 4

1) introducing compulsory schooling
2) laws and policies that apply specifically to children e.g. Must be a specific age to smoke/drink
3) the growth of the idea of children’s rights

Question 5

Why does Postman believe that childhood is ‘disappearing at a dazzling speed’?

Answer 5

Because

• children are giving the same rights as adults
• unsupervised games
• similar clothing
• children commit adult crimes

Question 6

Why does the March of Progress View believe that the position of children has improved?

Answer 6

•children are more valued, better cared for, protected and educated than previous generations
E.g laws against child abuse and child labour
•better health care
• infants live longer

Question 7

What does Sue Palmer mean by “toxic childhood”?

Answer 7

She means that technology and culture changes have damaged children’s physical, emotional and intellectual develop.
E.g junk food
Computer games
Marketing to children

Question 8

Childhood is a social construct. What does this mean?

Answer 8

Something that has been defined by society, it differs between times, places and cultures