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ChildhoodChildhoodPart 1: The social construction of Part 1: The social construction of

childhoodchildhoodL.O to understand the L.O to understand the

changing role of children changing role of children in familiesin families

Questions to get you thinking;Questions to get you thinking;

What is childhood?What is childhood? Should childhood be a Should childhood be a

particularly happy time? particularly happy time? Why/why not?Why/why not? Do you think it is a good idea to Do you think it is a good idea to

make children labour for a living?make children labour for a living? Are your views on childhood Are your views on childhood

traditional or a recent traditional or a recent development?development?

Some Contrasting Some Contrasting Experiences of children Experiences of children

around the worldaround the world

Domestic LabourDomestic Labour

Child labourChild labour

According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), some 250 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 work for a living, worldwide.

Child SoldiersChild Soldiers

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•In 1998 it was estimated that up to 300,000 children were actively involved in armed conflict in government armed forces, government militias and in a range of armed opposition groups.

PersecutionPersecution

The Social Construction of The Social Construction of ChildhoodChildhood

Phillip Aires (1962) suggested that our Phillip Aires (1962) suggested that our contemporary conception of childhood is a contemporary conception of childhood is a social constructsocial construct

In pre-industrial society there was no such In pre-industrial society there was no such divide between adults and children; divide between adults and children; children wore adult style clothes and were children wore adult style clothes and were employed in the same contextemployed in the same context

Children were seen as small adultsChildren were seen as small adults Attitudes towards children had changed Attitudes towards children had changed

significantly by the mid 1800s, by this time significantly by the mid 1800s, by this time there was some different styles of clothing there was some different styles of clothing for upper-class childrenfor upper-class children

Childhood Part 2: Childhood Part 2: Contemporary IssuesContemporary Issues

L.O to understand the changing L.O to understand the changing role of children in familiesrole of children in families

Write down any restrictions on young people and children

Eg voting, driving, number of children allowed in shops at a time

A March of Progress?A March of Progress? Functionalist sociologists argue that the Functionalist sociologists argue that the

changing status of children in society is changing status of children in society is part of a march of progresspart of a march of progress

This ideas asserts that children’s lives This ideas asserts that children’s lives have improvedhave improved

This is evident in the amount of revenue This is evident in the amount of revenue devoted to education, health care and devoted to education, health care and the protection of children’s rightsthe protection of children’s rights

However, this approach has been However, this approach has been criticised by conflict approaches that criticised by conflict approaches that suggest this theory to be over-simplifiedsuggest this theory to be over-simplified

Do Children have more rights or Do Children have more rights or restrictions?restrictions?

The Child-centred SocietyThe Child-centred Society

To what extent is the phrase children should be To what extent is the phrase children should be seen and not heard relevant today?seen and not heard relevant today?

Aries argued that we now have a Aries argued that we now have a ‘cult of ‘cult of childhood’ childhood’ meaning that society is very child meaning that society is very child centredcentred

We can see examples of how much of the We can see examples of how much of the available leisure facilities are created with available leisure facilities are created with children in mindchildren in mind

This is also eviden in theThis is also eviden in the legislation legislation that is that is designed to protect childrendesigned to protect children

To what extent is the phrase children should be To what extent is the phrase children should be seen and not heard relevant today?seen and not heard relevant today?

Aries argued that we now have a Aries argued that we now have a ‘cult of ‘cult of childhood’ childhood’ meaning that society is very child meaning that society is very child centredcentred

We can see examples of how much of the We can see examples of how much of the available leisure facilities are created with available leisure facilities are created with children in mindchildren in mind

This is also eviden in theThis is also eviden in the legislation legislation that is that is designed to protect childrendesigned to protect children

To what extent is the phrase children should be To what extent is the phrase children should be seen and not heard relevant today?seen and not heard relevant today?

Aries argued that we now have a Aries argued that we now have a ‘cult of ‘cult of childhood’ childhood’ meaning that society is very child meaning that society is very child centredcentred

We can see examples of how much of the We can see examples of how much of the available leisure facilities are created with available leisure facilities are created with children in mindchildren in mind

This is also evident in theThis is also evident in the legislation legislation that is that is designed to protect childrendesigned to protect children

The Disappearance of ChildhoodThe Disappearance of Childhood According to Postman television is According to Postman television is

blurring the distinction between blurring the distinction between childhood and adulthood, because it childhood and adulthood, because it makes information available to all in makes information available to all in spite of literary levelsspite of literary levels

Phillips (1997) also argues that popular Phillips (1997) also argues that popular culture encourages girls to embrace a culture encourages girls to embrace a sexual identity at a younger agesexual identity at a younger age

The Toxic ChildhoodThe Toxic Childhood

Palmer (2006) discusses Palmer (2006) discusses cultural changes that affect cultural changes that affect children in today’s societychildren in today’s society

She argues that children are She argues that children are pacified with TV, video games pacified with TV, video games and junk foodand junk food

Choose a side from the two Choose a side from the two statements below and create an statements below and create an argument using evidence and argument using evidence and examplesexamples Children are now more equal to Children are now more equal to

adults today than ever beforeadults today than ever before

Children are now more Children are now more dependent on adults than ever dependent on adults than ever beforebefore