Childhood

Question 1

Postman

Answer 1

‘childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed’

Question 2

Pilcher

Answer 2

Children have completely different rights and duties from adults, these are regulated and protected by law

Question 3

Ariès

Answer 3

A cult of childhood developed after industrialisation

Question 4

Shorter

Answer 4

Society has a need for better-educated citizens and lower infant mortality rates, therefore, school leaving ages have increased and child protection has improved

Question 5

Donzelot

Answer 5

Theories of child development changed in the 19th Century. People began to realise that children needed protection due to the growing medical interest in child development

Question 6

Gittins

Answer 6

There is an ‘age patriarchy’ in which adults maintain authority over children. This is achieved by using enforced dependency through the protection from paid employment and legal controls, for example

Question 7

Hockey and James

Answer 7

Childhood is a stage that most children wish to escape

Question 8

Statham and Owens

Answer 8

Black children or dual-heritage children are more likely to end up in care than white or asian children

Question 9

Brannen

Answer 9

Asian families are stricter on their daughters than sons

Question 10

Hillman et al

Answer 10

Studied children age 7 - 15 and found that parents tended to give boys more freedom to cross roads, go out after dark etc than girls

Question 11

Bonke

Answer 11

Girls perform more household chores than boys, especially in lone-parents families

Question 12

Wagg

Answer 12

The construction of childhood varies across different historical and cultural societies

Question 13

Punch

Answer 13

Children growing up in the countryside in Bolivia were given responsibilities and work to perform at the age of 5

Question 14

Katz

Answer 14

Sudanese children have far more freedom to explore and travel around their local area than children in Western societies

Question 15

Ennew

Answer 15

Humanitarian and welfare work is often based on the belief that Western childhood is the ‘correct childhood’

Question 16

Jenks

Answer 16

The 20th Century was focused on the ‘futurity’ of the child - children symbolise the future

Question 17

Palmer

Answer 17

Children are now experiencing a ‘toxic childhood,’ their lives are more violent, stressful and sexually active. This leads to increased teenage pregnancies, obesity, self-harm and addiction to alcohol and drugs. She also argued that children’s development has been damaged by the increasing speed of technological advancement.

Question 18

Lee

Answer 18

The paradox of childhood is one of dependence and independence at the same time

Question 19

Opie

Answer 19

Childhood culture still exists independently of adult influence