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. By contrast, in a medieval society young people from about the age of seven were weaned from the protection of their family and cast into the wider adult society where they acted and were treated as ‘mini-adults’ Aries argued that in the middle ages, prior to our social and economic progression away from feudalism, children were not acknowledged as going through any developmental stages in life. He considered that this was why they were treated as miniature adults and dressed up in the same style of clothes, perhaps this was also to ensure that they conform to social status and/or to display the social class of their
Examine the ways in which childhood can be said to be socially constructed (24 marks) A social construct is an idea or concept that has been created and defined within society. Many sociologists argue that childhood is a social construct, as it isn’t a fixed, universal idea, and differs in different areas and time periods. There are historical and cultural differences in how childhood is defined. For example, what kind of childhood a child in the UK goes through will be drastically different to the kind a child in Kenya, or that of a middle age UK person went through. One of the most notable things to examine when looking at what causes childhood to be socially constructed is the work of Phillipe Aries (1960).
Many changes has taken place throughout the centuries on how children are seen. There are also people who also made the Child and Youth Care possible in history such as Charles Dickens, Gisela Pieper Konopka, Jane Adams, Fritz Redl, Jean Rousseau, to the Medieval mention only but just a few. During and Renaissance times and the Industrialisation period the infant rate was very high. This was due to child neglect and ignorance for child needs. During this period, there was harsh treatment for children and was more severe for children at the age of seven as it was believed that childhood seized at that age (Beukes & Gannon, 1996).
Between 1200 and 1500 parents tried not to love their children becaue hey would often die from sickness. If the child did not die they would participate in all parts of adult life, they were even dressed like little adults. The only problem was that there was no formal education. By the 1800’s formal education was aviable but only to the upper class children. The lower class children had to work alongside adults.
Families moved from rural areas to the newly industrialized cities to find work. Once there, things were not as great as they dreamed they would be. In order to survive, families had to have everyone in the household working. This led to the epidemic of child labor with children, as young as six years old, working in harsh conditions for long hours in factories or coal mines (Dunlop, 1912). Young children could be hired to do the same jobs as adults for much less pay and could often fit into places adults couldn't.
‘Assess the view that childhood is a social construct’ (25M) Yes. Childhood is a social construct. Since it is “socially constructed” it means it’s not biological. According to the French historian Phillipe Aries childhood is a relatively recent invention. It is a separate and distinct phase of life and that children should be treated separately from adults.
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.
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 pinnacle point of this essay will be to explore children’s experiences of family life and show what it is like for different types of families such as lone parents and step families. In addition, this essay will look at the ideas which shape the constructs of childhood in considering what role the family play in shaping a child’s experiences. Before childhood and the family at present can be examined, it is important to recognise when childhood was discovered and began. Before the 1600’s children were seen as miniature adults, and it is only through time and change of society that childhood has been recognised as a separate stage of life and development. The Aries thesis is studied as the discovery of childhood.
The harsh realities of living as a working class family in Britain before 1840 included a serious lack of basic human necessities. From 1840 to 1965 there were widespread social changes occurring in Britain that altered everyday life for many people. The experiences of the working class transformed significantly through their increased access to education, healthcare, and welfare reform, but at the same time the experiences of the middle and upper classes stayed stagnant as they already had access to many of these basic necessities. Education was one of the predominate social institutions that begin to transform in late 19th century and this directly affected a large number of people. There was a strong desire to educate more of the population