While many historians and sociologist quote his work, there are, however, just as many who criticise it, arguing that in concentrates to much on childhood rather than looking deeper into child and adult relations. Aries made the analysis that the modern world has seen a transition in how people perceive childhood. In fact, J. Plumb agreed with him, arguing that the very notion of childhood is a European invention of the last 400 years. Aries observed that in a modern society the age of seven marked a shift from infancy to childhood. In our current society we consider this a special state of development where one is neither infant nor adult, around which, Aries believed, our whole structure of family revolves.
Up until the 1990s, theories of childhood tended to be determined in a "top-down" approach which some have described as "imperialistic." This is true of theories about the medieval child as much as the modern child. Children themselves while the focus of theory, have not generally been considered as having a legitimate voice in influencing its production. However, the UN CONVENTIONON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD (1989) created a climate for reconsidering this tendency and a subsequent focus on listening to the views of the child and CHILDREN'S RIGHTS of expression in general. This has led some scholars to explore allowing children themselves to reflect upon their own experience of childhood, resulting in the use of inclusive research methodologies and more democratic frameworks for dissemination.
IS CHILDHOOD ‘SOCIALLY CONSTRUCTED’? Most sociologists argue that the idea of childhood is not something natural and given How we treat children – how we expect them to look, behave and develop – is decided by the kind of society you live in. This is what ‘socially constructed’ means. • Different societies have treated children very differently • Different historical periods have varied a lot in the way children are regarded and treated. HOW WE ‘CONSTRUCT’ CHILDHOOD TODAY (western societies).
To what extent is childhood a social construct? Social construct = a socially created aspect of life. Social constructionalists argue that human beings actively and creatively produce society. Childhood is an example of a social construct as it is not a natural or a biological state therefore being socially constructed. The understanding of children is that they are not the same everywhere and they are different from adults, how they are different, and the expectations placed on them differ depending on the society they live in.
The ethical guidelines which are in place for today’s practice were not part of the research method of the past. Nowadays we have specific guidelines set out which cover such aspects as informed consent, deception, protection of participants from harm, right to withdraw, debriefing, confidentiality, observational research and giving advice. There are strict ethical guidelines to do with these issues to protect people regardless of age. As the study of children became more prominent theorists emerged, the most influential being; Jean Piaget (1896-1980), who constructed a system which marked clearly defined cognitive growth stages. This led to many studies on the social world of the child.
According to Aries (1962), 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 rates making it hard to emotionally invest. However, now, according to Pilcher, a key aspect of childhood is ‘separateness’ from adulthood. Aries definition of childhood as a social construction can be supported by cross-cultural differences and more specifically Punch (2001). Punch studied children in Bolivia and found that at age 5 children were expected to work and take on responsibilities.
Charlotte Bronte depicts an accurate representation of childhood in Jane Eyre, and the social behaviour and relationships related to it, fitting with the social context of the time. Bronte uses the first section of the book to establish children receiving different treatments from different perspectives, i.e the class divide between the wealthy and poor. However, ultimately there are some recurring themes of childhood that seemed commonplace in the Victorian era, portrayed clearly in the novel. Throughout the first two parts of Jane's life, Bronte makes it clear that children were not particularly respected or valued as much by adults, in comparison to the like of adults treatment towards each other. Though Jane is quite clearly a bright and capable young girl, she rarely gets a chance to speak off her own will on many matters and is expected by Mrs Reed to keep quiet and stay obedient.
Parsons explains that if any of these fails then the family will not be equilibrium with other social systems in the United States (Morimoto, 2013). Parsons states that “The basic and irreducible functions of the family are two: the primary socialization of children so that they can truly become members of the society into which they have been born; second, the stabilization of the adult personalities of the population of the society” (Appelrouth & Edles, 2012). Parson believed it was important that children should be socialized into
TITLE: A REFLECTION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHILD AND YOUTH CARE PROFESSION. ‘’The child in need of care is not a new phenomenon”, (K Beukes & B Gannon 1996). The problem of what to do with underprivileged children has existed throughout history. The history of Child and Youth Care dates back in the days in the days when children were oppressed by adults and were seen as “evil beings”. Many changes has taken place throughout the centuries on how children are seen.
DESCRIBE, FROM THE SERVICE USER PERSPECTIVE (CHD DISABILITY), HOW SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE HAS RESPONDED TO THE CHANGING NEEDS OFTHIS PARTICULAR GROUP WITHIN THE LAST TWO DECADES. THEORY Some 20th century theorists have concentrated on the traditional perspectives of normal and typical development, with limited attention to the various implications of disability and the theories regarding the treatment of childhood disability, which has only focused on managing the impairments that lie behind these disabilities and how treatment can promote normal development. (Skelton H and Rosenbaum, 2010) Childhood disability is very diverse, ranging from mild impairments to severe debilitations, so with so many different considerations, it is vital to be aware of exactly what these needs are. Theories are moving away from grouping unequal needs together under one terminology. We need to consider other impacting factors such as, age, family circumstances, ethnicity, social class, gender and sexuality.