In addition, the high infant mortality rate meant that there was no emotional attachment between parents and their children. It wasn’t until the invention of the printing press in the 15th century that information became censored, resulting in children being treated differently to adults. Aries, like Postman argues that childhood has improved since the Middle Ages. For example, children were expected to contribute within the household or workplace resulting in them having the same role as adults. Furthermore, the law treated children no differently to adults e.g.
Using material from item a and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood (24 marks) There are different arguments towards the way childhood is socially constructed and how this has changed over time, in this question I will assess the different viewpoints and the pros and cons of them. Item A is very basic, it does not give much evidence or in depth explanation about the changes of childhood through the years. In the first paragraph, it mentions Aries point that children were considered as ‘miniature adults’ in the medieval ages, he described that there was minimal distinction in the behaviour of children and adults. During this period of time children were considered and treated as adults in many ways, children were mixed at work and leisure. Some people would have argued that this was fair and equal and that today’s ‘child-centred’ society has taken away the freedom of children over the years.
It was only in late industrialisation when significance change occurred, people began campaigning for child rights, something that had never happened until this point. working class families children were still made to work in dangerous, disease ridden factories. This campaign is was something that caused the position of children in society to change from a joint adult culture to modern terms where it is completely separate with different governs and laws to adults. Examples such as these lead to children being excluded from factory work and mines for their safety but still this did not change within the majority of working class families who had
For example children in simpler, non-industrial societies are treated differently from their modern western counterparts, especially in Asian countries where children have more responsibility at home and work, and less value is placed on obedience to adult authority. During the industrialisation, children weren’t seen as children but young adults, therefore they were put to work at an early age, especially in factories to work on big machines where they’re suitable to get into machines if there was problem. Children who work in factories often had injury and accidents that result in high child death rates. This encourages indifference and neglect, especially towards infants. This results in the modern notion of childhood, which began to merge when they introduce the factory act (1860) protecting children in factories.
Explainining class differences in achievement Cultural deprivation theory blames the failings of the child on his/her background. This diverts the attention from the educational system which may contribute to, or account for, class differences in attainment. Cultural deprivation theorists argue that many working-class homes lack the books, educational toys and activities that would stimulate a child’s intellectual development. Bernstein and Young (1967) found that the way mothers think about and choose toys has an influence on their child’s intellectual development. Middle-class mothers are more likely to have more of an interest in their child’s intellectual development.
While parents worked children were in school their lives were quite separate from adult life by getting children to interact with their age groups, and places like pub were forbidden for children to be in. While adults had to face the criminal charges for their wrong activity, children were not faced with harsh adult criminal justice system. How happy were children in 20th century? There were many positive statistics in twentieth century regarding children and everyone seemed to be optimist about their future as before they were faced with child labor, which led them to criminality, mortality rates were higher or ill health. What did Wilmot and Young find about working class families?
Prisons can never give the same education or love from a single parent home. Morse gives examples of cases of single parents, but this does not mean it is a problem. I have known professionals who have been raised by only one parent and have not been affected. I believe that the important thing to avoid kids to fall in crime is communication. When parents fail to communicate with their children they do not know where the children are, what their activities, or who their friends are more likely to be absent from school and having delinquent friends that make them behave the same way.
Assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood There is no fixed definition of childhood or even a universal type of childhood; this is because it is socially constructed. A socially constructed childhood is one, which changes as society does, conforming to society’s evolving norms and values. Therefore, childhood was a different institution in different decades and still is in different countries. The historian Philippe Aries (1960) argued that in the Middle Ages there was no notion of childhood, as children were seen as small adults who socialised with one another without boundaries drawn over age. However, the status of childhood has changed immensely since then, in which today’s society the distinctions between adults and children are clearly drawn, and control over children has increased with adults enforcing the activities a child can and cannot undertake.
Sociological model- Child Abuse is considered a sociological phenomenon because it is not the norm behaviour pattern for human beings to follow. This kind of behaviour is usually learned by the parents of the abuser. One group that human beings interact with are their family. Humans are made up of what they have been taught by their family and people around them. Hence if abuse is learnt as a child, they will often grow up to be abusers Psychological model – Family dysfunction theorists look at the dynamics within a family relationship.
There are many sociological explanations for the changes in the status of childhood. One of the most known statuses of childhood is the ‘Western notion of childhood’ this is the idea that children in the western society are fundamentally different from adults and that there is still a need for constant protection and care from their parents and the government, as they are psychologically and physically immature. Childhood is seen to be a special time in a person’s life, in which they should cherish and enjoy, without being expected to undergo adult actions such as work, especially as children seemingly lack the important skills, knowledge, and basic experience that would be necessary to survive in the adult world. There is too much innocence and naiveté for them to be categorised as adults. It is believe that children need a long period of time of nurturing and socialisation before they are ready to enter the adult world, so they would need the appropriate amount of time to acquire knowledge and experience to enable the child to become an effective member of society.