relationship between historical discourses of childhood and people’s perception about childhood and recent child-related issues
Introduction
Moral issues affecting children are frequently reported by the media today, bring the concept of childhood and children-related social issues under the spotlight. Discourses of childhood have been evolving all the time since the development of the concept of “childhood”, which demonstrate the increasing importance of children as perceived by the public.
This essay aims to discuss the relationship between historical discourses of childhood and people’s perception about childhood and recent child-related issues. It is argued that the discourse of innocence of infancy has great impact on how people think of the children sexual abuse issues including paedophilias.
The essay will first introduce the historical development of the concept of childhood, demonstrating the overtime evolution of “childhood”. Then, it will give detailed explanation of why discourse of innocence has the power to influence public perceptions about child-related sexual crimes.
1.0 Attitudes towards children changed over time
The theories regarding children have evolved remarkably over time. Those theories are mostly related to the definition and nature of childhood, the function of it and how the notion of childhood is utilized within societies.
The earliest controversy was over the emergence of the concept of childhood. Aries (1962) suggested that it was until the sixteen century that the concept of childhood came into exists. Prior to that point in time, there was no such a transitory stage called “childhood”; instead, individuals moved from infancy directly to adulthood. As a result, young children dressed in the same way as adults do, and they shared adult conversations as well as even sexual activities (DeMause 1974). In the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the new concept of “childhood” emerged, as can be seen from the emergence of clothing for children separated from that of adults (Aries 1962). Importantly, it was also the period when the discourse of depravity
Moral issues affecting children are frequently reported by the media today, bring the concept of childhood and children-related social issues under the spotlight. Discourses of childhood have been evolving all the time since the development of the concept of “childhood”, which demonstrate the increasing importance of children as perceived by the public.
This essay aims to discuss the relationship between historical discourses of childhood and people’s perception about childhood and recent child-related issues. It is argued that the discourse of innocence of infancy has great impact on how people think of the children sexual abuse issues including paedophilias.
The essay will first introduce the historical development of the concept of childhood, demonstrating the overtime evolution of “childhood”. Then, it will give detailed explanation of why discourse of innocence has the power to influence public perceptions about child-related sexual crimes.
1.0 Attitudes towards children changed over time
The theories regarding children have evolved remarkably over time. Those theories are mostly related to the definition and nature of childhood, the function of it and how the notion of childhood is utilized within societies.
The earliest controversy was over the emergence of the concept of childhood. Aries (1962) suggested that it was until the sixteen century that the concept of childhood came into exists. Prior to that point in time, there was no such a transitory stage called “childhood”; instead, individuals moved from infancy directly to adulthood. As a result, young children dressed in the same way as adults do, and they shared adult conversations as well as even sexual activities (DeMause 1974). In the sixteenth and seventeenth century, the new concept of “childhood” emerged, as can be seen from the emergence of clothing for children separated from that of adults (Aries 1962). Importantly, it was also the period when the discourse of depravity