Is Childhood in Crisis free essay sample

The nature of childhood, has changed significantly over time. Reference for definitions The word ‘childhood’ can be defined as being ‘the period during which a person is a child’ and is seen as the period between birth and adolesance. Childhood is built up by a range of different aspects for example: development socially, educationally etc. The idea of childhood being in crisis, can relate to a range of different issues i. e. family breakdown, increase in technology, culture/society changes etc. A crisis can be defined as being a time of intense difficulty. Whether childhood is in crisis or not it is extremely important to support a child’s development through childhood. Childhood is made up of three different stages: Early childhood (play age), Middle childhood (school age) and adolesance (puberty age). During the course of this essay, the phrase will be examined, giving the history of childhood and how it has changed through time. We will write a custom essay sample on Is Childhood in Crisis? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page An individual’s childhood can shape ‘who’ they are and how they live their life in the future. The key issues that will be highlighted will be how childhood has changed focusing on the idea of culture, peer groups, technology, and media. Throughout time, the concept of childhood has continually changed and developed. During the 17th-century painting and furniture have shown that children were represented as ‘mini-adults’. They were expected to behave and dress as adults coming across as miniature replicates of their parents. During this era there was no real existence of childhood (Aries 1961) as we understand it. The concept of childhood did not exists in the medieval times; to grow up as a child would have been brutal and an uncaring experience. A lot of families were in poverty and there was a high infant mortality rate, (over a third of babies died) there was also no education available for the majority of children. Children born in this era were seen as a benefit to the family as the child could go out to work or marry into a wealthy family. During the Enlightenment (1650-1750), childhood began to be seen as more of a stage between birth and adult hood, but children were still seen as an ‘investment’. During this era, education started to become more evident boys were sent to upper schools, but girls were often made to stay at home; learning how to be a house wives but some aspects of childhood have been development. During the industrial revolution, there was an increase of child labour. Children were expected to go out and work to bring money home, from a very young age limited opportunities meant that working class children were not expected to attend school and the increase of child labour meant that chances of surviving childhood were lowered because of poor living conditions and accidents. One idea, as to why childhood is linked to the idea of family breakdown and the moving away from the typical nuclear family (two parents two children). In 1969 the Divorce Reform Act, which made it easier for married couples to get divorced. Nowadays this has become norm, but the changes this bought had a range of different effects on childhood. It had taken away the ideal idea of childhood being easy and anxiety free. Divorces and subsequent extended families can have a great impact on a child and affect how they experience childhood for example. Childhood adversities, development issues, affect them socially. These issues are still around today and are unlikely to become easier for children going through a family breakup. If childhood is such an important part of life, an increase of family problems, can have a massive impact on child’s development to adulthood. The increase of divorce has led to the adaptation of family structure, families are now more likely to consist of step parents and step children. This means everyone has to live to learn with the new adjustments, resulting in every child experiencing childhood in different ways. The Children Act 1989 now means that children have a say in their parents’ divorce arrangements which gives children more responsibilities and shows that families have now become more child centred. Over time the concept of the nuclear family has started to deteriorate and the idea of a male dominated home is now rare. Since the nineteenth century and the growth of Women’s Rights Movement, women have been given more rights. The idea of the stereotypical woman being a housewife and raising the children has changed; women have started to help support the family financially by going out to work. This has meant that children over the years have had to adjust to the idea that the role of their mum has changed. This can give the era of childhood for children a sense of restlessness. Add why Since the seventeenth century, children have been given a voice in the family home; by letting them to make their own choices. Reference This has changed the nature of childhood dramatically, which can be seen a positive and negative effect. It has enabled children to be more independent with decision making which prepares children more for adulthood; this is what childhood is supposed’ to do. On the other hand, it can put too much burden on the child, meaning they are being treated more like an adult rather than a child. The concept of childhood, is not a natural state, but it has been socially constructed through society and can only exist in a society that understand the term this has been reinforced through history. Another issue is how much of ‘childhood’ has been so cially constructed (created and defined by society) through history; it is clear that throughout history the idea of childhood has been continually developed. On the other hand Piaget has suggested that there are clear stages of development which all children must reach on their journey to adulthood. Philip Aries has been a huge influence, in the expansion of understanding around childhood. He claims that childhood is social; a social construction that has been assembled by society and culture. Bearing in mind in the past, children did not go through the stages of childhood, due to high death rate and large families; some childhood was not seen as being about sentimental leading to parents being emotionally detached from their children. Make sense of. The modern construction of childhood has created a social division based on age; children are being separated from society by being placed into nurseries and school from a very young age. It has meant that social relationships are now determined by the integration decided by the parents Alanen, L (1994). The media focus on modern childhood, is portrayed in a negative way with the other view of childhood becoming increasingly dangerous which creates concerns of unease and panic for parents. The media has portrayed today’s society as being ‘dangerous’ which has led to more parental insecurities, which has led to childhood, since 1950’s to become more restricted. Due to parents’ increase of concern for their children, it has led to determine their child’s friendships and relationships, limiting children’s freedom to play outside. Due to the increase of car, ‘stranger danger’ and fears of surroundings, it has created more anxieties amongst parents. Childhood is becoming increasingly ‘toxic’ rather than a time of ‘innocence’ (palmer, 2006). Since before the industrial revolution, parents have pushed their children to grow up, this has changed dramatically; parents have new anxieties that their children are growing up too quickly despite the fact that children rely on parents for a larger period of time. The gives the perception that childhood still exists but is prolonged and the perception of childhood has changed. The invention of television,video games and the media has contributed to the continual changes in childhood. Children are spending more time watching TV, than playing and exploring the outdoors. Television has means that children now have access much more information and with the internet children have no limitations as to what they can watch which can give them unlimited access to the adult world. Postman concluded that TV has influenced children to become â€Å"more sceptical and disillusioned† about the ‘real’ character of adults which has appealed to children. The influence of TV has slowly started to erode childhood by promoting growing up too quickly. Different social groups have been formed, by the influence of TV and video games and these groups spend time socialising while doing these things. adults. Postman claimed that nowadays children are better informed but warned that in having access to the previously hidden fruit of adult information, they are expelled from the garden of childhood, (1994, p. 97). He suggested that increasing crime rates, alcoholism, drug taking and sexual activity among children provide evidence of childhood’s ‘disappearance’. Postman’s view is now generally recognised as exaggerated by most commentators (for example, Buckingham, 2000; Prout, 2005) and there are a number of ways in which his evidence might be challenged. Media stories which focus on childhood in almost entirely negative ways stoke these concerns and breed unease and panic. In addition two recent reports on the material circumstances and well-being of children were widely publicised in the media. The UNICEF (2007) overview of child well-being in rich countries rated UK children the lowest of all 21 countries for both relationships and happiness. In terms of poverty, British children were fourth from the bottom and only one point above for educational well-being Idea of childhood being socially constructed? Piaget stages of developmemt Issue of fragmentation: growing up into an uneasy/uncertain society, not settled, things keep changing. Integration children becoming more of an individual compared to what it was before, people before seen as being the same Culture change: Change of Anxieties: employment, more worries but more opportunities – little adults- assmumbd to deal with things nowadays- linking back to little adults before time. Impact of change of society: student protests, women’s movement, media, technology- not a time of innocence . decontextulisation- loss of society- weak- more individualism- alienation. Technology- no longer simple, peer groups- alcohol Conclusion: Considering childhood, is supposed to be seen as a time of ‘innocence’ and limited worries, many children would say this statement is incorrect, considering there are a lot more anxieties amounts people in childhood. This is due to a range of different issues i. e. unstable society, integration, exams and peers. Children do not just develop as individuals, but they collectively create peer cultures, which contributes to the reproduction of society, which is always growing and changing. The modern idea of childhood appears to progress as lifestyles change and adult expectations adjust. Society have different ideas of how childhood should be lived, some believe that a child should live a happy and trouble-free life. It is clear that today childhood is a mixture of happiness and anxiety with limited adult interference, beside parents and teachers (palmer, 2006). Childhood is a pure example of learning about different responsibilities, preparing each individual for adulthood. The idea of childhood has changed dramatically over time, the idea that children were no different to adults during the Enlightenment. Now it is clear to suggest that childhood is seen as a clear distinct life stage, which is seen to be a ‘special time’ of life. This is presented by children not being able to certain things that adults are able to do, this has been put into place by laws, acts and cultural attitudes. Child needs to experience childhood to ensure that they do not lack in having different experiences to gain different skills to prepare them to enter the adult society. Whether or not you are convinced by Aries and Postman’s view that the concept of childhood is a modern invention, the actual experience of being a child has changed dramatically throughout history. In the past children were not separated from public life as they routinely are nowadays and the expectation would have been that they should earn their living as soon as they were able. Increasing public perception of children as a social group distinct from adults grew slowly supported by the popularity of certain writers whose ideas have continued to influence the ways in which children are understood. The changing experience of childhood accelerated after the Industrial Revolution when concerns about child labour began to surface. Gradual social reform led eventually to universal compulsory education which changed the status of the child from wage earner to schoolchild. With this change came the idea of childhood as a time of dependency and by the twentieth century parents had begun to focus on children’s psychological and emotional rather than economic value. Childhood has always been affected by particular discourses which construct the child as inherently wicked or else naturally innocent. These contribute to an understanding of childhood which combines conflicting portrayals of children as innocent, vulnerable, dependent, incapable, incompetent and in need of protection and control as if these are all ‘natural’ attributes of the child.