Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood
Item A
According to some sociologists, children in today’s supposedly child-centred society leas lives that are segregated and controlled, but childhood was not always like this. For example, Aries describes a medieval world in which, children were not actually the equals of adults, they nevertheless mixed freely with adults in both work and leisure. Little distinction was drawn between adults and children.
According to this view, however, industrialisation brought major changes to the position of children to the position of children. The development of industrial society meant that their lives were increasingly confined, disciplined and regulated by adults. The result is that in the West today, adults exercise a control over children’s time, space and bodies that would have been unimaginable to medieval society.
Not all sociologists share this view of modern childhood, however. Some argue that the distinction between childhood and adulthood is becoming blurred.
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood.
(24 marks)
Sociologist’s see childhood as socially constructed. This means that childhood is created and defined by society even though it may seem natural or biological. These sociologists argue; what people mean by childhood, and the position that children occupy in society, is not fixed but differs between different times, places and cultures. We are able to see this by comparing the western day of childhood today by childhood in the past and in other societies.
In order to assess the sociological explanations of childhood one must look at how children are seen and treated in other times and places then our own. This can be done by assessing cross-cultural and historical differences in childhood. Ruth Benedict argues that children in simpler non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their modern western equivalents. This happens in three ways: children take
According to some sociologists, children in today’s supposedly child-centred society leas lives that are segregated and controlled, but childhood was not always like this. For example, Aries describes a medieval world in which, children were not actually the equals of adults, they nevertheless mixed freely with adults in both work and leisure. Little distinction was drawn between adults and children.
According to this view, however, industrialisation brought major changes to the position of children to the position of children. The development of industrial society meant that their lives were increasingly confined, disciplined and regulated by adults. The result is that in the West today, adults exercise a control over children’s time, space and bodies that would have been unimaginable to medieval society.
Not all sociologists share this view of modern childhood, however. Some argue that the distinction between childhood and adulthood is becoming blurred.
Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess sociological explanations of changes in the status of childhood.
(24 marks)
Sociologist’s see childhood as socially constructed. This means that childhood is created and defined by society even though it may seem natural or biological. These sociologists argue; what people mean by childhood, and the position that children occupy in society, is not fixed but differs between different times, places and cultures. We are able to see this by comparing the western day of childhood today by childhood in the past and in other societies.
In order to assess the sociological explanations of childhood one must look at how children are seen and treated in other times and places then our own. This can be done by assessing cross-cultural and historical differences in childhood. Ruth Benedict argues that children in simpler non-industrial societies are generally treated differently from their modern western equivalents. This happens in three ways: children take