This document includes the childhood topic for families and households in paper 2. It covers the social construct of childhood and how childhood has changed through time. All content follows the AQA specification.
Jane Pilcher - Separate Stage
Childhood is seen as a distinct separate stage from adulthood. Different laws for children,
different products and clothing and the different spheres that adults and children occupy.
Stephen Wagg - Socially Constructed
‘Childhood is socially constructed. It is what members of particular societies, at particular
times say it is. There is no single universal childhood experience by all’.
DIFFERENCES IN CHILDHOOD BETWEEN SOCIETIES
Ruth Benedict - Around the World
Children around the world are treated differently, they are given more responsibility at a
younger age, less likely to respect adult authority and less sexually restricted.
- AO3: Ruth Benedict was writing when anthropology suffered from an imposed etic
(the idea that how it is done in the west is the way it should be done and any
deviation is incorrect).
Raymond Firth - Tikopia / Respect
Children in Tikopia have no clear distinction between adults and children. Children felt
adults had to earn their respect, they would not follow orders just because they came from
an adult.
- AO3: Parenting in the UK has become less about coercion and more about
negotiation with parents wanting to be loved not feared and mutual appreciation
more important than respect.
Samantha Punch - Dinner Ready? Bolivia
In the west children are protected. In Bolivia children were not viewed this way. Expected to
start dinner and get the housework underway from as young as 5.
Malinowski - Trobriand islands (sexual behaviours)
Studied the tribes of the Trobriand islands. Islanders were more accepting of children’s
sexual exploration. They did not see sexual activity as reserved for adults and were okay
with any age child displaying sexual desire or exploring themselves.
- AO3: We must question if there is an imposed etic issue here.
Townsend
Significant differences in how children were treated, many lived without clean water, no
education and in war zones. Child soldiers die due to illness and diseases.
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