Investigating sociological explanations of ‘childhood’ L/O

What do the following images tell us about ‘childhood’? Starter

IDEAS?

Childhood is a social construction. It is created by society rather than simply a biological stage.

Different societies and different historical periods have different ideas about what is a child and what is expected of a child

Read the cross cultural examples and identify the differences in the experiences of childhood Task

According to Pole (2006), childhood is a “Privilege of the Rich” and that we need to view childhood cross-culturally.

James & James argue that “there is no such thing as childhood… only childhoods”.

Children in Africa Watch the video clip (you can make notes on statistics and information if you wish.) Now spend a few minutes writing a summary of the experience of childhood in Africa. How does this differ from the modern western view?

Cross cultural differences in childhood Samantha Punch (2001) found that in rural Bolivia, once children are about 5 they are expected to take on work responsibilities in the house and community Raymond Firth (1970) found that less emphasis is placed on children showing authority to adults among the Tikopia. Doing as you are told by a grown- up is regarded as a concession to be granted by the child, not a right to be expected by the adult.

In Mexico it is estimated that 1.9 million children live rough on the street – of these have been abandoned by their parents. In Brazil, 1000 homeless children are shot dead every year by people who regard them as vermin. Are children vermin? Try and consider both sides of the sociological argument.....

Homework Use the internet/books/your own experiences to research another cultural differences in childhood

Has there always been ‘childhood’?

Studied paintings and drawings ‘Childhood’ is a recent invention In pre industrial society children were little adults They were an economic asset – they were expected to help the family unit of production Aries 1962

WC attitudes stayed the same but MC attitudes started to change in the mid 19 th century Campaigners fought against children working in mines and factories Schooling became important for the MC Childhood & Industrialisation

The 20th century became ‘child centred’. Health and diet improved and the infant mortality rate declined. Childhood In 20 th Century

1945 Butler Education Act – schooling for all 5-15 (Raised to 16 in 1972) The Children Act 1989 – giving more rights to children Childhood and the State

1990 Child Care Act 1991 Child Support Act These deal with the care, upbringing and protection of children Social Services and Social Workers have powers to take children away from dangerous home situations Childhood and the State

Why the shift to a child centred approach?

NEEDS OF THE ECONOMY

SOCIAL CONTROL

EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL CONTROL Control over bodies How they sit, walk, run, what they wear etc. Adults touch children's bodies in many ways- pat on head, hold hands etc They control how children touch their own bodies- don’t pick your nose!

Control over time Adults control children’s time in the day. They control how quickly they ‘grow up’. EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL CONTROL

Age Patriarchy Diana Gittens uses the term age patriarchy- to describe inequalities between adults and children (adult domination and child dependency) EXAMPLES OF SOCIAL CONTROL

What memories do you have of childhood? You

Why has this concept of childhood been threatened in the past few decades? Changes in Childhood

Squeezed in between childhood and adulthood is the unclear term ‘youth’ The ‘Yoof’

hORJLKg The ‘Yoof’

Youth Culture first emerged in post war UK Teenagers found jobs quickly and earned high wages Hence they had strong spending power Clothes, music etc exploited this new market

The ‘Yoof’ 1960 ’ s Prosperity and media combined to give new independence to youths Conflicts with the older generation were more marked

Pilcher 1995 Says it is best treated as a transition between child and adult. From compulsory education to employment From family of origin to family of destination (orientation to procreation) Pilcher 1995 Says it is best treated as a transition between child and adult. From compulsory education to employment From family of origin to family of destination (orientation to procreation) The ‘Yoof’

The ‘Yoof’

1970 ’ s 1972 school leaving age was raised to 16 By the end of the 1970 ’ s unemployment was starting to bite The ‘Yoof’

1980 ’ s Unemployment became more widespread Spending power of youth declined More staying on longer in full time education Youth

1990 ’ s Transition to economic independence has become longer House price increases have led many to stay living with parents into their 20’s People are marrying later and having children later. (Average age for first time mums was 24 in the 1970’s, now it’s 28) University loans replacing grants has led to more dependence on family for financial support Youth

The conflict view The March of Progress view is disputed as there are inequalities amongst children according to culture/gender/class/race: 90% of the world’s low birth-weight babies are born in the Third World. Similarly, there are ethnic differences: Julia Brannen’s (1994) study of year olds found that Asian parents were more likely than other parents to be strict towards their daughters.

Feminist view There are gender differences between children. For example, according to Mayer Hillman (1993), boys are more likely to be allowed to cross or cycle on roads, use buses, and go out after dark unaccompanied Girls do more domestic labour- in lone parent households they do 5 times more than boys. This could be due to socialisation.

Marxist view There are important class differences between children: Poor mothers are more likely to have low birth- weight babies which may delay physical and intellectual development According to Woodroffe, children from manual backgrounds are more likely to be hyperactive and suffer long-standing illnesses than children of professionals.

Child liberationists – inequalities between children and adults Child liberationists see the need to free children from adult control. This adult control takes a number of forms: Neglect and Abuse (The Dark Side) Child-line receive 20,000 calls a year by children saying they have been abused Control over space Children have to go to school and are watched in shopping centres. Road safety and ‘stranger danger’ means children cannot walk alone. ‘No school children’ signs in shops.

Conventional view

Sue Palmer (2007) ‘Toxic Childhood’ Adults are benefiting from living in a wealthier society in which electronic technology has enriched their lives. Same technologies are harming children. E.g. children now watch TV rather than reading and are deprived of traditional childhood and family life.

Melanie Phillips (1997) ‘All Must Have Prizes’ Follows a conventionalist approach. Culture of parenting in the UK has broken down. Innocence of childhood undermined by two trends: 1.Children have too many rights. Children need to be socialized to respect parental authority. Children’s rights mean parents are criticized and penalized for sanctions such as smacking. 2.Media and peer groups have become more influential than parents e.g. pop videos, TV. Girls magazines encourage girls to be sexual beings at a much younger age.

Alternative view

According to the alternative view, the conventional view presents family life as a one-way process in which parenting and socialization aim to transform children into good citizens. This view ignores the fact that children have their own unique interpretation of family life and that interaction is a two- way process. Interactionism

Children can be constructive and reflective contributors to family life. Most children in the study had a pragmatic view of their family role. Although they did not want to make decisions, they did want to have a say in family life. Morrow (1998)

Exam Questions on childhood May 2002 Identify and briefly explain 2 reasons why the position of childhood has changed in the last 100 years (8 marks)

June 2001 Identify and briefly explain 2 reasons why childhood as a separate age-status is a ‘relatively modern invention’ (8 marks)

Jan 2002 Examine the arguments and evidence in favour of the view that childhood is socially constructed (20 marks)

Jan 2002 Examine the reasons for changes in the position of children in the family and society. (24 marks)