...Is Childhood Disappearing? 2012 Brendan Dolman Sociology, Unit 3 5/1/2012 Abstract This is a report to look at the social construct of Childhood and whether it is disappearing. This report explores the history of childhood and current socio cultural influences on modern day childhood. Is Childhood disappearing? Introduction I am interested in this subject area because childhood is a social construct which seems to be diminishing from society. This is of particular interest to me because childhood as we know it has only been about for the last century but now it seems that it is once again diminishing from society. I say this because when looking at childhood from 50 years ago and comparing it to childhood today there is a huge difference. Today toys seem to be targeted at children of ages 1-10 years old but not for children above that age (Manhattan Institute for Policy Research). Children seem to be pushed into the spotlight of adult activities such as the fashion and glamour world in the case of beauty pageants (Daily Mail Online 2011). There also seems to be more of a focus on older children playing on computer consoles with violent games which depict realistic and gruesome actions. These computer games also depict real life situations such as the war in Afghanistan and give these older children the opportunity to play as a soldier in this scenario. Content What is childhood? Childhood is not to be confused with being a child, it is a completely different...
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...‘’Applying material from Item A and your knowledge evaluate sociological explanations of the changes in the status of childhood.’’(20 marks) Sociologists believe that childhood is created and defined by society. They also believe that it is a social construct in developing society and how it plays its part. Previously in different periods there wasn’t a consistent difference between adults and children. However, now there is with clear differences and distinctions between the two. Childhood found its place in society after the pre-industrial society with families living in an extended environment. With extended families a lot of members it doesn’t create the difference between childhood and adulthood. As item A states ‘’there was little distinction between children and adults’’ in the past. Aries (1960) suggested that ‘the idea of childhood did not exist’. After Aries studied from previous art pieces and diaries from the time period he claimed that children that once children had not passed the dependency of infancy they were treated as ‘mini adults’. With labelling children as mini adults it implied that they held the same: rights, duties and skills as adults had. Aries argued the fact that children are not or should not be seen no different to adults from the way they act in society. He also proposed that childhood began to emerge from the 13th century and this was partly due to the rise in education and the individuality children then had compared to adults. Clothing...
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...Examine the different sociological views on the changes in the experience of childhood in the past 50 years. According to Aries, childhood can be defined as a social construction. Children were once regarded as ‘little adults’ and an economic asset rather than a symbol of love due to the high death and infant mortality rates making it hard to emotionally invest. However, now, a key aspect of childhood is ‘separateness’ from adulthood. There have been several state policies that have constructed and defined childhood, one of which is the children’s act which aimed to give children more rights to make a positive contribution to society. It argues the best place to raise children is at home with their parents which brought about the social view that it is essential for children to spend time with immediate family in order to grow up to be independent. Aries argues that childhood has changed. Instead of children being seen as an economic asset we now live in a child centred society which is good for the child. Some sociologists, such as Functionalists and the New Right argue that children are seen as precious in todays society. Parsons believes it is the parents responsibility to raise their children into being good citizens in society. New right sociologists are worried that this way of raising children has been undermined by a ‘child centered society’. In the 20th and 21st centuries it is argued that families have become increasingly child centred. Children are often seen...
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...Examine the effects of social change in the position of children Sociologists see childhood as socially constructed, this means they see it as something created and defined by society itself. They believe we can see the position that children occupy in society is not fixed but differs between different time, places and cultures by comparing the western idea of childhood today with the childhood in the past and in other societies. It is accepted in our society today that childhood is a special time of life and that children are different from adults. They are seen as physically and psychologically immature and not yet able to run their own lives. Jane Pilcher (1995) notes the most importance feature of the modern idea of childhood is separateness. Childhood is seen as a clear and distinct life stage and children in society occupy a different status from adults. However this view of childhood as a separate age status, children and adults being different, is not found in all societies. Stephan Wagg (1992) says “Childhood is socially constructed. It is, in other words, what members of particular societies, at particular times and in particular places, say it is. There is no single universal childhood, experienced by all. So, childhood isn’t ‘natural’ and should be distinguished from mere biological immaturity”. This means that, while all human beings go through the same stages on physical development, different cultures construct or define this process differently. Ruth Benedict...
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...Childhood Review Questions Please answer the following questions as fully as you: 1. Explain what is meant by ‘childhood is a social construction’ This means that childhood is a stage of life that we have attached certain labels to. These labels include the view that children are dependent on adults to survive and the fact that children have less abilities to work than adults. It is also the view that a child's role in society and the rules that they are meant to follow are created and learnt by socialization. 2. Explain what is meant by the term ‘loss of childhood’ The term loss of childhood means that childhood is disappearing which means that children and adults are becoming more and more similar. This is due to way that children now act. For example, in Britain, more children are having sex at a younger ages which is proved by the statistic that Britain has the most teenage pregnancies. Children also have a greater access to the adult world through things such as the internet and television which make it exceptionally easy for children to access adult content. This view is supported by Postman who said that ‘childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed’ 3. Suggest two reasons why childhood is a relatively modern invention. One reasons that childhood is a relatively modern invention is that we know, through the research done by Philippe Aries, that childhood did not exist past physical dependency in the middle ages. This is a reason because in todays society,...
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...who believes children are more protected, valued and cared for today, compared to the past where they were forced to work and treated as ‘mini adults’. However, Postman (1994) disagrees with this and believes ‘childhood is disappearing at a dazzling speed’ due to the rise in television culture and the decline in the written media. When the written media was introduced, not many children were able to read or write, allowing their parents to control what their children could know. Within the past 50 years, the rise of the television culture has allowed children to learn these things without their parents telling them, causing a blur in the distinction between what a child and an adult knows. Palmer (2006) agrees with Postman and believes there is an emergence of ‘toxic childhood’. This is caused by technology, fast food, parents working longer hours to earn money and more tests being given to children while in education. Despite this argument, organisations such as Save the Children are protecting children in 3rd world countries who are involved in events such as war. This is an example of the west imposing their ideas of childhood on the rest of the world. This suggests childhood is not disappearing, but becoming more widespread. Hillman (1993) believes childhood has not improved for girls over the past 50 years. They are taught to do ‘girl’ things when growing up such as housework to help their mother out, whereas boys are allowed to go out on their bikes and play football...
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...Evaluate the view that contemporary families have become more child centred Firstly , child centred society is where children have become more valued and therefore focused on and protected. In this essay I will be evaluating the view that modern families have become more child centred. I will do this by including childhood in the past compared to childhood now , and how childhood has improved through rights and economic improvements and so on. Firstly , childhood is a phase of life between infancy and adulthood and can be said as a modern development as it didn’t develop in western society until the 16th and 17th centuries. For example , a historian Phillip Aries explained that in medieval times childhood did not exist as a separate status. That they were seen as “Little adults” even though they required constant care they were expected to take on adult roles and responsibilities as soon as they were physically able to do so. Such as child labour. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century until that there were restrictions (laws) made to protect children from exploitation and hardship. Which therefore greatly separated children from the adult work life and responsibilities. Children began to be seen as innocent and needed to be protected , as they are also vulnerable. This emphasizes that as attitudes changed towards children there was a social change over time , which has led to child centeredness today. Secondly , strong discipline was used to teach children appropriate behaviour...
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...He shows signs of depression, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, and the beginning stages of anxiety and anger issues. From the beginning of the book, one can see that he different than other characters who have similar characteristics. He is “in that unhappy phase of life, that transitional stage, where he has outgrown the relatively well-ordered world of his childhood and must find his way in the world of adults” (Bungert). This is important considering that many people get diagnosed with mental illnesses when they are in their teenage years. His struggles for getting out of childhood is a stressor for his mind. At the end of the novel, when Holden is finished telling his story, he says that he could probably tell us about how he got sick. He also acknowledges “the one psychoanalyst guy they have [there]” who asks if he is going to start applying himself (234). The fact that there is someone analyzing his behavior is a clear indicator that he shows signs of mental illnesses. Holden dodges any questions about his feelings of what happened to him because he does not know how to feel. The psychoanalyst also asks Holden if he is going to start applying himself in school more, but Holden does not fully answer the...
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...Changes in the Experience of Childhood in the Past 50 Years or so? Many sociologists see childhood as socially constructed; as something created and defined by society. Many argue that what people mean by childhood, and the position that children occupy in society, is not fixed but differs between different times, places and cultures. It can be seen that by comparing the western idea of childhood today with childhood in the past and other societies. It can be determined by many sociologists that there have been many changes in society that have affected children over the last 50 years, however there are several different sociological views on whether these changes have been beneficial to children or not. Some sociologist such as Aries say that childhood can be defined as being a social construct. Children had been seen as being like ‘mini adults’ and being an economic charge rather than being treated like children and being unconditionally loved by their parents. The elements of the modern childhood gradually began to emerge from the 13th century onwards. Schools started to specialise purely on the education of the young pupils. There was a growing distinction between adult and children clothing. By the 18th century there was a sign of the growing child-centred of family life, mostly among the middle classes. According to Aries these developments lead to the ‘cult of childhood’. He argues that we have moved from a world that did not see childhood as in any way special, to a...
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...Assess the sociological explanations of changes in the status of children (24 marks) Childhood is a socially defined age-status. There are major differences in how childhood is defined both historically and cross-culturally. Some may believe that childhood is biological. The age and development of children are biologically determined as these remain the same throughout time and cultures. But childhood, the way children are viewed and treated, changes throughout time and cultures. This is why childhood is viewed as a social construction. Some sociologists suggest the changes in the status of children are good, while others suggest they are bad. To examine the change in the status of children, we have to see how it has been constructed by society. In the UK people follow the western modern notion; that childhood is a special separate life stage. However, this view is not found in all societies as suggested by Wagg (1992). There is clear evidence of this when childhood is examined cross-culturally. Ruth Benedict (1934) argued that children in simpler, non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their western counterparts. Benedict suggested that children take responsibility from an early age and that there is less value placed on obedience to adult authority. She also suggests that children’s sexual behaviour is often viewed differently. Many sociologists have studies to support this. Malinowski (1957) found that Trobriand Islanders took an attitude of ‘tolerance...
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...essay. There are many reasons why the position of children has changed and I will be examining whether the impact is positive or negative. In modern society it is argued that childhood is a social construct, which is where the individual experiences things which have been created. In pre-industrialisation the child had a similar role to the adults which was economic, this was researched by Aries. He studied paintings which were created in pre-industrialisation, the problem with this is that it has been interpreted by him and the painter and therefore may present bias or inaccurate findings or only give a one sided view. The children were expected to work and therefore had no/little education and their socialisation is very different to the children in modern society. The position of today’s children is to go to school, enjoy being a child and be dependent on the adult’s this was not evident in pre-industrialisation. This is proven in Aries findings, this is because he found that they were like a smaller version of an adult, for example with the clothes they wore and their expectations to work. He concluded that childhood did not exist, however in today’s society childhood is a significant lifestage and is essential in the future of the social actor (person). Industrialisation saw the first signs of childhood and therefore the beginning of their identity and a change of their position. Education became available to middle class children and by the 1880 all children from 5 to 10...
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...He would not tell anyone what he was trying to do and the dark tunnel that he found. He was challenging himself like how an adult has to face many challenges in life, but much more difficult challenges. The short film “Mind the Gap” portrays a sheep that is already an adult. It shows you his memories and the process of him becoming an adult. Eventually he breaks down because his childhood was taken away from him so suddenly, and he couldn’t accept it. The mask that was given to him on his birthday, it was a sign that he had to be an adult and playing around was over. Although the sheep was very young at the time, he was sad that the time for being a child was over when his parents had given him the mask. A mask that covers your face so they wouldn’t see what your facial expressions are when sad or happy, but when the sheep is on the train he sees a child whining and being needy. His mother had told him to be quite and stop, but the child wouldn’t be quite and stop pestering the other passengers. The sheep had gotten off the train and broke down from the horrid memories of his childhood disappearing because of that mask. He ripped it off and broke down. Today in the 21st century, adolescence feel the need to grow up faster and the older folks want to relive their youth. Adolescences from sixteen year olds feel that they need to grow up and do what the adults are doing. Those who want to grow up so fast don’t understand the consequences of being an adult that has responsibilities...
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...Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood The status of childhood has always been changing with time and in this day and age there are many views over the position of children, being confined, disciplined or controlled by the adult authority. Others say that they are growing up to fast and the distinction between the adults and children is overlapping. Some sociologists believe that childhood is socially constructed, that childhood is dependent on society’s cultures, beliefs and laws etc. An example for this theory is Stephen Wagg’s (1992), who believes a single ‘universal’ childhood, which everyone goes through, does not exist. He says that childhood isn’t natural or defined by biology. By this he means that although all children go through life stages and physical development, it doesn’t create their position in society and instead the society and its differential culture, religion and laws decide this for them. Earlier centuries like the middle ages didn’t regard childhood at all and adults and children were almost equal with each other, work, clothing and playing. As item A describes ‘little distinction was drawn between adults and children’. This is a view taken up by the historian Philippe Aries where the child entered the wider society on most the same terms as adults and taking the responsibility of work from a young age. Evidence of this is from Bruegel’s 16th century painting which shows children...
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...Addressing the issue of Childhood Obesity The good old days, when there was no big screen or flat screen TV, we used to spend our time outside home. Telephone was a rarity; so people used to travel or spend time in neighborhood in their spare times. There were no computers, laptops, iPods or cell phones; so the major sources of entertainment were evening get together, park walks, bicycle rides and skating were our favorite activities. This era was the peak of childhood amusements like jacks, hide and seek and kick ball. Bicycle was the most preferred medium for almost everywhere I had to go. My times were pleasurably more inclined towards physical activities, and amusements were limited to physical outreach. Today, children of new generations are surrounded by most technically equipped gadgets that have completely revolutionized the way they spend their childhood. Sitting at home, over the LCDs, they can play games that are truly addictive. Moreover, they can have access to almost everything they want to know. Cell phone is the biggest addiction of new generation. Computers and laptops have become a necessity rather than a luxury. Today’s child is technically more informed than our generation. But the cost this generation is bearing could be attributed to their physical appearances where glasses and obesity have become a common problem in America. Since computer games have obsessed the new generation, the trend of street games is essentially disappearing. We cannot simply...
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...Assess the sociological reasons for the change in the social position of children and the consequences of these changes for the family and society (24 marks) The social position of children over time has greatly changed, this evident through the work Philippe Aries. During the Middle Ages (10th-13th Century) Aries (1960) argued that ‘the idea of childhood did not exist.’ He used works of art as evidence to show that children of that time appeared without ‘any of the characteristics of childhood; they have simply been depicted on a smaller scale.’ Children were in effect ‘mini-adults’ with the same rights, duties and skills as adults. They even dressed the same and carried out the same work. However from the 13th Century on Aries said ‘the notions of childhood were gradually emerging’ changes were beginning. Schools were specialising in purely education for children. There was a growing distinction between children’s and adults clothing. By the 18th Century, hand books were being made on rearing children, there was a sign of growing child centeredness of family life at least among the middle class. Then in the 18th-20th Century major changes happened. Laws were made restricting child labour and excluding children from work. This change was made in order to stop children from carrying out all types of labour but most importantly to stop intense or dangerous labour e.g. young boys working in mines and chimneys. Compulsory schooling was introduced 1880. The growth in industry...
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