Families and Households - Childhood

The Social Construction of Childhood

The Position of Children

Childhood and Contemporary Britain

Sociological Theories and Childhood

Childhood: The phase of development until a person is an adult

  • Wagg: claimed that childhood is socially constructed as there is no single universal childhood. Social construction is when something is created and defined by society.
  • We can see that childhood is socially constructed through 3 main ways:
    • Through out History
    • Across different cultures
    • Within the same society

Historical differences in Childhood:

  • Aries: childhood is a recent social construction and in medieval times childhood did not exist. From the age of seven children were 'miniature adults' (e.g. adult responsibilities, adult style clothes, same punishment for crimes etc.)
  • Aries linked the development of childhood to industrialisation (child labour laws, compulsory education etc.)
  • However, Pollock criticised Aries, saying it is more correct that childhood has simply changed as opposed to non-existent

Cross-Cultural Differences in Childhood:

  • We can see childhood is socially constructed as different childhoods exist over different cultures, (e.g. in west childhood is prolonged whereas in developing countries childhood is often cut short).
  • 1 in 7 children in the world work
  • 215 million children aged 5-17 are involved in child labour
  • Punch: Once children are 5 in Bolivia they are expected to take on work responsibilities
  • UNICEF: 1 in 10 girls around the world experience serious sexual violence

Differences between Children in the Same Society:

  • Gender: Feminism
    • Oakley: gender role socialisation
    • McRobbie: girls more protected
    • Brannen: Asian girls more strictly controlled than brothers
    • School experiences
  • Social Class: Marxism
    • Material deprivation of working class - effects 27% of children in the UK (2013).
    • Cultural deprivation of working class - Vincent & Ball: middle class have more enrichment

A Child Centred Society:

  • Child centred refers to the needs and interests of children being prioritised
  • Butter et al: has an influence on family decisions
  • Nelson: Parents over protecting their children - Helicopter Parents
  • Minister for children introduced in 2003

Media Effects and Consumerism:

  • Phillips noted that the media is now more influential on children as an agent of socialisation than parents are
  • Williams stated that the media has helped with the transition from children being producers to children being consumers
  • We are in an era of Consumer Kids and Pester Power
  • The approximate cost to raise a child to 21 is £230,000
  • Children desire branded products to fit in and because they have been widely advertised
  • Evans & Chandler - parents buy children products to display affection

The Disappearance of Childhood:

  • Postmodernist Postman argued that the distinction between adults and children is disappearingat a dazzling speed
  • Palmer - electronic babysitters
  • Postman blames the media for the blurred lines between childhood and adulthood as it has destroyed the information hierarchy - 'everything is for everybody'.
  • However, Postman has been criticised for lack of evidence, while there is evidence for distinctions between childhood and adulthood e.g. no child labour

Palmer created the term Toxic Childhood to describe how technological and cultural changes in the past 25 years have damaged children. (e.g. attention is poorer, increase in learning difficulties e.g. ADHD & Dyslexia)

  • 62% of 11 year olds & 71% of 13 year olds spend more than 2 hours a day watching TV at the weekend
  • However, in Switzerland the figure is under 35% for both of these groups
  • Palmer suggests that children are exposed to and aware of adult problems due to the media
  • While Womack claims that British children are the unhappiest in the west, The Personal Lives Perspective argues that you cannot generalise childhood as each child will have a different experience

March of Progress theories:

  • Aries: children were miniature adults
  • Piltcher: childhood is the 'golden age'
  • Childhood is getting better over time
  • We are living in a child centred society

Feminism:

  • Children are treated and raised differently due to their gender - especially in other cultures
  • Oakley: Gender Role Socialisation
  • Children are controlled - especially girls

Marxism:

  • Working class children are not benefiting from society due to material deprivation and cultural deprivation etc.

Postmodernism:

  • 'Everything is for everyone' - due to increase in media
  • Disappearance of childhood
  • Western ideas on childhood are being globalised

The Personal Lives Perspective:

  • Childhood cannot be generalised as each child has a different experience