Topic 5 (the nature of childhood and the changes in the status of children in the fam + society) Flashcards
(26 cards)
PILCHER - modern western notion of childhood
Most important feature of modern childhood is separateness. childhood - clear distinct life stage + children occupy separate status from adults.
Way separateness is emphasised: laws regulating what children are allowed, required/ forbidden to do. also differences in dress, products/services especially for children = toys, food, books, entertainment.
Childhood as a golden age
Linked to idea of separateness. Childhood- a golden age of happiness + innocence. children are viewed as vulnerable; in need of protection from adult world - quarantined. unlike adults they lead lives of leisure + play - largely excluded from world of paid work.
Wagg (1992)
Childhood is socially constructed. its what members of particular places say it is. no single universal childhood experienced by all. while all humans go through the same stages of physical development,various structures construct or define the process differently.
examples of children being treated differently in non-industrial societies from their western counterparts
Responsibilities at an early age: Holmes (1974) study of Samoan village found ‘too young’ was never given as a reason for not permitting a child to undertake a task.
Sexual behavior: Malinowski (1957) Found that adults took an attitude of ‘tolerance and amused interest’ towards children’s sexual explorations and activities.
Aries (1960)
History differences in childhood
Childhood did not exist in the Middle Ages. Children weren’t seen as having different ‘nature’/ needs from adults. children were in effect mini-adults with same rights duties + skills. Law made no distinction between children + adults - often faced same severe punishments as adults.
Development of childhood
Emergence of modern ‘cult of childhood’. Argues we have moved away from world that did not see childhood as special to a world obsessed w/ childhood. 20th cent - ‘century of the child’.
Globalisation of western childhood
Sociologist may argue that we are imposing our western notions of childhood (separateness, nuclear family + education, vulnerability, and child labour laws) onto the world.
For example, campaigns against child labour or concerns of street children in under-developed countries reflect western views. (Childhood is not disappearing but spreading throughout the world).
Shorter (1975)
Parental attitudes towards children were very different in the middle ages:
- high death rates encouraged indifference and neglect, especially towards infants
- e.g. same name as recently dead sibling, refer to baby as ‘it’ and forget how many children they had.
Reasons for changes in the position of children
- laws restricting child labour & excluding children from paid work = financially dependent on parents.
- introduction of compulsory schooling in 1880 = raising school leaving age has extended period of dependency.
- growth of idea of children’s rights - children act defines parents as having responsibilities rather than rights in relation to children.
- declining family size & lower infant mortality rates encouraged parented to make greater financial & emotional investment in fewer children.
- laws & policies apply specifically to children
- minimum age restrictions to limit their activities.
process of industrialisation underlies many of these changes. Modern industry needs educated workforce (compulsory schooling); higher standards of living/better welfare provision - lower IMR.
Postman, 1994
the disappearance of childhood
he argues childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed:
* the trend towards giving children the same rights as adults
*the disappearance of children’s unsupervised games
*the growing similarity of adults and children’s clothing
*and even to children committing ‘adult’ crimes such as murder.
Information hierarchy
emergence and now disappearance of childhood lies in the rise + fall of print culture + its replacement of television culture.
19th century printed word created an information hierarchy: A sharp division between adults who can read and children who can’t.
yet television blurs distinction between childhood + adulthood by destroying info hierarchy. TV doesn’t require special skill to access it. Boundary between adults + children is broken down.
Critique of Postman’s information hierarchy theory
believe he added too much emphasis to television as single cause in disappearance of childhood - ignored other influences.
Jenks (2005)
Childhood is changing, not disappearing as we go from modernity to post- modernity.
Modern society - adults relationships were more stable. Postmodern society - pace of change speeds up - relationships are unstable. creates insecurities. relationships w/ children become more important as source of adults’ identity/stability. (marriage may end in divorce, but still a parent)
critique of Jenks view of childhood changing rather than disappearing.
over-generalises. despite greater diversity of family + childhood patterns found today, statements imply all children are in same position.
post-modern childhood
Due to the constant uncertainty + upheaval of life, adults become more fearful of child’s security. Leads to greater surveillance and regulation of children’s lives.
March of progress view of childhood
positive changes to position of children in society. A dramatic improvement to the past.
Aries and Shorter
Today’s children are more valued, better cared for, protected and educated, enjoy better health and have more rights than those of previous generations
Child centred family
Children no longer to be seen & not heard. Now focal point of family. Parents invest great deal in children emotionally & financially & have high aspirations for them to have good life & greater opportunities.
March of Progress theorists argue that society is also child-centred - reflected in level of media output + leisure activities designed specifically for children.
Palmer (2006) - ‘Toxic childhood’
rapid, cultural, technological changes in past 25 yrs damaged children’s emotional, intellectual + physical development (junk food, computer games, intensive marketing to children, growing emphasis on testing in education).
Toxic Childhood Evaluation
cant draw firm conclusions about childhood as not all children are affected equally by negative trends. some children have miserable desperate lives Womack (2007) recognises that others don’t.
Negative example of future of childhood
childhood could be an isolating experience as families become smaller + there are fewer children in neighbourhood.
However, children’s relative scarcity will make them more valued + powerful.
The conflict view of childhood
- Marxists and feminists
- march of progress view is false and idealised + ignores inequalities children’s face:
1) inequalities between children and adults, children experience greater control, oppression and dependency
2) inequalities among children in terms of opportunities and risks they may face
Conflict View of childhood - inequalities
Different NATIONALITIES experience different childhoods + life chances. 90% of worlds low birth-weight babies born in developing countries.
GENDER - Hillman (1993) boys more likely allowed to cross/cycle on roads, use buses, go out unaccompanied at night.
ETHNICITY - Brannen’s (1994) study of 15-16 year olds found Asian parents more likely strict towards daughters.
SOCIAL CLASS - Howard (2001) found children born into poor families are also more likely to die in infancy/childhood, to suffer longstanding illness, shorter in height, fall behind at school + placed on at-risk register.
Inequalities between children and adults
~Neglect and abuse e.g adult control over children through sexual or emotional abuse.
- controls over children’s space - children’s movements are highly regulated in industrial societies.
~Controls over children’s time e.g adults control children’s daily routines. also control speed they ‘grow up’ - defining whether a child is too old or too young for activity/behaviour.
- control over children’s bodies (how they sit, walk, run what they wear ect.)
- control over children’s access to resources - children have limited opportunities to earn money + remain dependant economically on adults. Labour laws/ compulsory schooling exclude children from employment, child benefit paid to parent not child, pocket money based on parents discretion.
Katz found Sundanese children already engaged in productive work from 3/4 yrs - shows differences between cultures.
Hockey and James (1993) - AGE PATRIARCHY
age patriarchy (the domination of adults + dependency of children) strategies to resist the restrictions that come with childhood: -'acting up'- acting like adults by doing things children aren't supposed to, e.g. smoking/drinking or exaggerating age. -'acting down'- acting like younger children to resist adult control, e.g. insisting on being carried/'baby talk' conclude modern childhood is a status most children want to escape from.
Evaluation of conflict view of childhood
critics of child liberationist view: adult control over children’s lives justified on grounds children cannot make rational decisions; unable to safeguard interests themselves. point out children are not as powerless as CL’s claim. EG. 1989 children Act establishes principle children have legal rights to be protected and consulted.
