Examine the reasons for changes in the position of children in the family and society (unfinished)
Childhood is considered a social construct made by society from social news of the people within that society. However different cultures view childhood in a variety of ways, meaning that there is no universal definition for what childhood is. In biological terms we consider childhood to begin from birth, and to once you’ve ‘grown up’ and become independent because in this period of time you cannot survive without some form of independency. Therefore bringing forward the notion that childhood can change over a period of time.
In pre-industrial societies families were a unit of production and all members of the family had to fulfil their role; this includes the children of the families. The children would learn and work as soon as they were able, with their status ascribed to them as soon as they are born into the family. It was Phillip Aires that argued that within pre-industrial society children were ‘little adults’ taking on responsibility far more advanced for their years. He additionally found that in medieval times conceptions of childhood did not exist for example the chronological age of an individual did not have any importance, therefore proving that conceptions had changed slightly from the medieval century to pre-industrial society. He argued that these children took on adult responsibilities from as young as 7 or 8 and some of these would include helping out in productive activities in the household and that in the eyes of the law they could also be held criminally responsible. However, with industrialisation the role of children and also mothers changed as families became to lose their function as a unit of production and were then taken into other institutions (Parsons). The children of the pre-industrial family would not be adults and leave home to work in the factories meaning that the children of the next generation would go to work later in their lives and so therefore it could be argued that industrialization extends and individual’s
In pre-industrial societies families were a unit of production and all members of the family had to fulfil their role; this includes the children of the families. The children would learn and work as soon as they were able, with their status ascribed to them as soon as they are born into the family. It was Phillip Aires that argued that within pre-industrial society children were ‘little adults’ taking on responsibility far more advanced for their years. He additionally found that in medieval times conceptions of childhood did not exist for example the chronological age of an individual did not have any importance, therefore proving that conceptions had changed slightly from the medieval century to pre-industrial society. He argued that these children took on adult responsibilities from as young as 7 or 8 and some of these would include helping out in productive activities in the household and that in the eyes of the law they could also be held criminally responsible. However, with industrialisation the role of children and also mothers changed as families became to lose their function as a unit of production and were then taken into other institutions (Parsons). The children of the pre-industrial family would not be adults and leave home to work in the factories meaning that the children of the next generation would go to work later in their lives and so therefore it could be argued that industrialization extends and individual’s