Unit 1 Sociology - Families and Households - AQA

historical evidence for the fact that childhood is a social construct

high death rates encouraged indifference towards children, later through changes that took place in society - society is more childcentred

study of childhood in rural Bolivia - children are expected to aid in work from the age of 5

study of a Samoan village found that 'too young' was never given as a reason for not letting a child undertake a specific task

Tikopia in the west Pacific - less value is placed on a child showing obedience to adult authority

Trobriand Islands - children's sexual behaviour treat with 'tolerance and amused interest'

important feature of the construct of childhood is separateness

'the history of childhood is a nightmare'

boys are more likely to be allowed to cycle or walk home and go out after dark alone

girls do more of the domestic labour - especially in lone parent households where they do 5 times the work that boys do

study of 15-16 year olds found that Asian parents were more likely than other parents to be strict towards their daughters

found that family honour could be a restriction for children, particularly in the behaviour of girls

children born into poor families are more likely to die in infancy or childhood

'protection' from paid work is not a benefit to children but a form of inequality and forcibly segregating adults and children, making them dependent

home habitat of 8 year olds has shrunk to one ninth of the size it was 25 years ago

uses the term 'age patriachy' to describe inequalities between adults and children

a quater of women in their study left their abusive partner because of fear for their children

children resisting the stuctures enforced - by 'acting up' to be like adults or 'acting down' to be like children younger than them

childhood is 'disappearing at a dazzling speed' with the disapperence of children's traditionally unsupervised games and children commiting 'adult' crimes such as murder - due to television and the rise of print media

argues that childhood is not disappearing but instead the seperate childhood culture is changing

'toxic childhood' - rapid technological and cultural changes have damaged children's physical

the UK is near the top or at the top of international league tables for obesity, self harm, sucide, alchol and drug abuse and violence