To What Extent Has Childhood Changed over the Past Century

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approach to this question or compare current ideas with ideas from a specific era. When analysing the different generations of childhood over the centuries, we identify interesting factors which have contributed to the change of ideas about childhood. Ideas from certain concepts of childhood such as ‘children in art’, ‘the romantic childhood’ and ‘the childhood development’ have all been manipulated and reformed throughout the progress of different societies in the past centuries. The changes of ideas in the concepts of childhood aforementioned are due to factors such as the change in human values, dominance of Westernisation and the rapid development of technology which enable us to see the considerable extent to which childhood has developed over time. Ultimately, this essay will argue that ideas about childhood have changed to a great extent as a result of factors which have been altered or introduced from the 18th century to the 21st century. Indeed, the changes in human values have helped shaped the concept of ‘childhood’, well as the spread and dominance of the Western world has influenced new culture, trends and behaviour of the youth. Furthermore, the rapid development of technology has changed the lifestyle of the 21st child as it has introduced them to a variety of harmful things which are easily accessible. Firstly, ‘children in art’, ‘the romantic childhood’ and ‘the childhood development’ are all concepts which have all been viewed differently throughout the different generations. ‘Children in art’ is a concept which involves the drawing of children in artworks such as paintings and sculptures to represent ideas in contrast with religion, morals and position. In earlier times, children in artwork were depicted as adult like as seen in ‘The Virgin of the Veil’ (Aambrogio Borgognone, 1500) where infant Jesus is naked and symbolised to be a man rather

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