AQA Sociology AS: Childhood

- Sociologists say that childhood is socially constructed: created and defined by society.

Modern Western Notion of Childhood: Child-Centred Society

• Childhood is a special time of life
• Belief that children lack skills, knowledge and experience.
• They need protection, nurturing & socialisation
• Jane Pilcher (1995): Most important feature of childhood is seperateness.
• Age laws in society
• Childhood has been refered to as the 'golden age'.
• However, children are seen as vulnerable.
• Stephen Wagg (1992): However, view that childhood as a seperate age-status is not found in all societies - not universal. "Childhood is socially constructed... no single universal childhood.." This means that different cultures interpret childhood differently.

Cross Cultural Differences in Childhood: Ruth Benedict (1934) 

• Ruth Benedict (1934) argues that children in simpler, non-industrial societies are generally treated differently.
• Take responsibility at a younger age.
• Less value on children showing obedience to adult authority.
• Sexual behaviour often viewed differently.
• Much less of a dividing line between the behaviour expected of children and of adults.
• Childhood is not a fixed thing.
• Differs from culture to culture.

Historical Differences in Childhood

• Childhood in an 'invention'
• Aries (1960): from the 10th-13th centuries, childhood didn't exist.
• In middle ages, childhood was very short.
• Children were viewed as 'mini-adults'
• Aries uses art as evidence.
• Shorter (1975): high death rates encouraged indiffernece and neglect towards infants.

• Accoring to Aries childhood changed from 13th century onwards because of 1) Schools only for the young, 2) Clothing differences, 3) Handbooks on childrearing becoming available.
• Aries: The 20th Century as 'The Century of the Child'.

Critique

• Linda Pollock (1983): argues that its more correct to say that in Middle Ages, society simply had a different notion of childhood than today.

HOWEVER: Aries work is important because it shows that childhood is socially constructed.

Reasons for Changes in the Position of Children

• 19th and 20th Centuries...
• Laws restricting child labour - children were economically dependent.
• Compulsory Schooling in 1880 - increased dependency.
• Child protection e.g. Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act 1889 & Children Act of 1989 - services available to children.
• Idea of childrens rights. United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 - basic rights e.g. healthcare and education.
• Declining family size - adults spend more on fewer children.
• Age restricting laws.
• Childrens health and development theories.

- Most sociologists agree that industrialisation was the main cause for the change along with lower infant mortality rates.

The March of Progress View

• Position of children was been steadily improving.
• Aries (1960) and Shorter (1975) hold this view: Children today are more valued, better cared for, protected and educated, enjoy better health and have more rights.
• Estimated £64 billion spent on education in 2007/08
• Babies have much better chance of survival - healthcare & higher standards of living.
• Time a child reachs 20st birthday - cost to parents is £186,000 (2007)
• Chlidren are no longer 'seen and not heard'.
• Media input to children - special programs.

The Conflict View

• Conflict sociologists e.g. marxists & feminists 
• Society is based on conflict between different social groups.
• Domination and subordination between groups where dominant oppresses the other.
• Argue that 'March of Progress' view is false & ignores important inequalities
• Inequalities in children: Access to opportunities and facing risks
• Inequalities between adults and children: Children today experience greater control, oppression and dependency.

- Nationalities, cultures, gender, social class, ethnic differences where children may not share same status or experiences.

- Adults use power as a new form of oppression and control, making them powerless.

- Abuse of children by adults. ChildLine - 20,000 calls a year reporting abuse.

- 'Stranger danger' means that children have to be driven to school - cannot walk on their own anymore.

- Adults control a childs daily routines. What they wear, how they sit, walk & run. Adults restrict children. Diana Gittins (1998) - AGE PATRIARCHY - adult domination.

- Are children becoming more powerful?

- Is distinction between childhood & adulthood breaking down?

The Disappearance of Childhood

• Neil Postman (1994) - childhood is 'disappearing at a dazzling speed'.
• Children committing adult crimes, watching same TV.
• Children can read & write at an early stage - allowing to enter adult world sooner.
• Printed words creates information hierarchy - adults who can read, children who cannot. Adults have power to keep knowledge about sex, money, violence, illness & death a secret. This is now less.
• Television blurs - destroy the information hierarchy.
• Postman's study shows how different types of communication technology can influence the way childhood is constructed.

Opie (1993): childhood is not disappearing. Her studies have shown strong evidence of continued existence of a separate children's culture. 

The Globalisation of Western Childhood

• Western notions of childhood are being globalised. 
• View that childhood is not disappearing, its spreading throughout the world

Reconstruction of Childhood?

• 'Toxic childhood' - negative trends of obesity, self-harm, drug & alcohol abuse, violence, early sexual experience & teen pregnancies.
• However, not all are effected by negative trends.

- Ageing population - more older people and less younger.

- Difficult to predict future of childhood because childhood is socially constructed.