Families Topic 1 - Childhood Flashcards
(42 cards)
How do sociologists view childhood?
Childhood is socially constructed and defined by society.
The meaning of childhood varies across different cultures, times, and places.
What is Pilcher’s (1995) description of childhood?
Childhood is a ‘Golden Age’ characterized by separateness, happiness, and innocence.
What is the most important feature of modern childhood?
Separateness.
What does innocence in childhood imply?
Adults must protect children from the adult world.
What does Wagg (1992) argue about childhood?
Childhood is socially constructed and not universal; it varies by society, time, and place.
How are children treated differently in non-industrial societies according to Benedict (1934)?
Children take responsibility at a young age, have less emphasis on obedience, and experience different views on sexual behavior.
What did Punch (2001) find about children in rural Bolivia?
Children worked from the age of 5.
How does Firth (1970) describe children’s obedience in the Tikopia tribe?
Obeying adults is a concession granted by the child, not an expectation.
What is the globalisation of Western childhood?
Western views of childhood are being imposed globally by humanitarian agencies.
What does Aries (1960) say about the idea of childhood in the Middle Ages?
The idea of childhood did not exist; children were treated as adults once they were physically independent.
What is the ‘Cult of Childhood’ according to Aries?
A period starting in the 13th century when the modern view of childhood began to emerge.
What significant changes occurred in the 20th century regarding childhood?
A focus on children’s rights and a societal obsession with childhood.
What are some reasons for changes in the position of children in society?
- Laws restricting child labor
- Introduction of compulsory schooling
- Growth of children’s rights
- Declining family size
- Improved healthcare
What does the march of progress view argue about childhood?
Childhood has gradually improved over the past centuries.
What are some indicators of improved childhood conditions?
- Lower infant mortality rates
- Better healthcare
- More child-centered families
- Legal protections against abuse
What is Palmer’s (2010) concept of ‘toxic childhood’?
Childhood is negatively affected by junk food, social media, and other modern pressures.
What do conflict theorists argue about childhood experiences?
Experiences of childhood differ significantly based on social stratification such as gender, ethnicity, and class.
What is ‘age patriarchy’ according to Gittins (1998)?
The domination of children by adults, similar to male domination in feminist theory.
What strategies do children use to resist their status according to Hockey & James (1993)?
- Acting up (behaving like adults)
- Acting down (behaving like younger children)
What is Postman’s (1994) view on the future of childhood?
Childhood is disappearing as the boundary between childhood and adulthood blurs.
What does Postman attribute the disappearance of childhood to?
The rise of television culture and the fall of print culture.
How does Opie (1993) counter Postman’s argument?
Childhood is not disappearing; there is still a separate childhood culture.
What is Jenks’ (2005) perspective on childhood?
Childhood is undergoing change, but it is not disappearing; relationships with children are becoming more important.
What is the primary concern of modern society according to Jenks?
Futurity
