Childhood

Question 1

What do sociologists argue childhood is?

Answer 1

Argue childhood is a social construction

Question 2

What does childhood being a social construction mean?

Answer 2

Means childhood isn’t natural or biological stage of life but is shaped and defined by norms and values of a society at a particular time

Question 3

Why is separateness the most important feature of childhood today?

Answer 3

Separateness - children are clearly different to adults and childhood is a different time of life to adulthood

Question 4

When were childhood and adulthood separated in the UK?

Answer 4

Separated during nineteenth century

Laws were introduced to abolish child labour and in 1880, education became compulsory for all children up to age of 10

Question 5

How did laws lead to childhood becoming separate from adulthood?

Answer 5

Separated the two because children were no longer working and instead were at school

Meant they couldn’t take on adult roles and they started to behave more as children

Question 6

What is child labour?

Answer 6

The employment of children in an industry or business, especially when illegal or considered exploitative

Question 7

How many children globally are estimated to be engaged in labour?

Answer 7

Global estimates based on data from UNICEF, the ILO and World Bank indicate that 168 million children age 5-17 are engaged in child labour

Question 8

Why does child labour demonstrate childhood is a social construction?

Answer 8

It is the norm of some cultures that child labour exists

Suggests that the ‘normal’ childhood is based on current laws and what a particular society deem as appropriate for children to be partaking in

Question 9

How might childhood differ between social class?

Answer 9

4. 1 million children in poverty meaning they may not have same experiences as children who aren’t in poverty
   e. g. school trips, music lessons which would limit potential

Question 10

How might childhood differ between gender?

Answer 10

Girls tend to have more controlled childhood

Girls tend to experience closer levels of social control whereas boys generally have more freedom which could lead to missed opportunities

Question 11

How might childhood differ between ethnic groups?

Answer 11

Asian girls tend to have more restricted childhood compared to boys

e.g. Bangladeshi girls often more strictly controlled compared to brothers

Question 12

How do differences between social class, gender and ethnicity show childhood is a social construction?

Answer 12

Shows that there are norms around the gender, ethnicity and social class stereotypes of how to shape a child’s childhood potentially leading to the having less fulfilling childhood and reaching their full potential

Question 13

What is a March of Progress view?

Answer 13

Takes a positive view of childhood in Britain today

Argues that children’s position and status has improved

Children are more protected and their lives are better than they were 200 years ago

Question 14

Four examples of how childhood can be said to be improving in the UK

Answer 14

Restricted working hours for children aged 13-17, illegal to work under age 12

Compulsory education until 18

The Children’s Act (2004) - safeguarding a priority

Improving ‘the rights of children’

Question 15

What is a criticism of the view that childhood has improved in the UK for all children?

Answer 15

Conflict theories take a negative view on childhood

Argue children remain exploited and controlled by adults despite laws etc.

Question 16

How do children learn to value consumerism?

Answer 16

Through birthdays and Christmas etc. where parents ask them what they would like

Overtime children start to value consumerism and feel they need to have more consumer goods

Question 17

What is pester power? How does this create false needs for children?

Answer 17

Pester power - businesses deliberately target children to make profit, companies advertise during children TV encouraging them they want a product

Children then pester parents to buy it for them

Marxist, Marcuse, argues these are ‘false needs’ and children don’t actually need consumer goods but will feel unhappy without them

Question 18

Why do Marxists argue pester power benefits capitalism?

Answer 18

Through ‘pester power’ and ‘false needs’ children have become consumers for the RC which keeps the RC and capitalism going

Question 19

Why do feminists argue girls are more closely controlled than boys?

Answer 19

Girls more closely controlled than boys because girls are more closely monitored e.g. strict curfews whereas boys tend to be given more freedom

May be due to gender stereotypes where girls seen as more delicate, vulnerable and in need of protection

Question 20

How do girls being more controlled than boys provide evidence for patriarchy in society?

Answer 20

Reinforces the idea that women should be controlled by men and men should have all the freedom to make the choices they want whereas women must only abide by rules set out for them

Question 21

What do child liberationists mean by age patriarchy?

Answer 21

Argue argue patriarchy is where children are controlled by adults

Question 22

Why might age patriarchy maintain the power of adults over children?

Answer 22

It undermines children’s independence and makes Tham dependent on adults which keeps adults in power

Question 23

What does Philips mean by a ‘flight from parenting’?

Answer 23

Where parents avoid taking responsibility for raising their own children

Question 24

Why would ‘flight from parenting’ be a concern for the New Right?

Answer 24

Taking responsibility for raising children is one for the fundamental values of the traditional family

Especially for women whose expressive role is to raise their children

Question 25

What is a toxic childhood?

Answer 25

Palmer argues toxic childhood is where the wealthy MC regularly use technology to keep their children quiet

Palmer claims technology deprives children from a ‘proper’ childhood with quality family time

Question 26

Why might toxic childhood be negative for children?

Answer 26

Technology is making them self-obsessed and unhappy which is causing social and behavioural problems

Question 27

What does Postman think has caused the disappearance of childhood?

Answer 27

Argues disappearance of childhood is caused by children no longer being sheltered from the adult world

He blames the internet and TV for exposing children to adult experiences

Question 28

What is the legal age of criminal responsibility?

Answer 28

10 years old

Question 29

What is the legal age to vote?

Answer 29

18 years old

Question 30

What is the legal age to marry?

Answer 30

16 years old

Question 31

What is the legal age to buy cigarettes?

Answer 31

18 years old

Question 32

What is the purpose of the TV watershed?

Answer 32

Protecting children from harmful material on TV and radio is one of Ofcom’s most important duties

Question 33

Why do policies on age restrictions support the view childhood is a social construction?

Answer 33

These policies determine at what age certain things are deemed appropriate

Suggests age and childhood is all based on current laws and policies and how childhood is viewed can easily change

Question 34

How would policies on age restriction be viewed by March of Progress theorists?

Answer 34

Viewed in a positive way arguing that they are protecting children from the adult world making their lives better

Question 35

How would policies on age restriction be viewed by conflict theorists?

Answer 35

May argue that although these policies are in place children may still be controlled by adults and exploited by them, taking no consideration into the fact these laws are in place to protect children

Question 36

How would policies on age restriction be viewed by conventional theorists?

Answer 36

May argue although these laws are in place, children are no longer sheltered from the adult world and can still access things that aren’t appropriate for their age