Childhood: key terms
12 terms. Say the definition out loud, tap to check, then say whether you knew it. Back to the topic
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Social construction of childhood
The idea that childhood is not fixed by biology but shaped by the values and laws of a society.
Exam tip Use cross-cultural or historical evidence (Benedict, Ariès) to show it rather than just asserting it.
March of progress view
The view that the position of children has steadily improved and is better today than ever.
Exam tip Aries and Shorter. Toxic childhood and conflict views give the counter-argument.
Child-centred society
A society in which children's needs and welfare are a central concern of families and the state.
Exam tip Evidence: laws on child labour, child protection, spending on children. Evaluate with inequalities between children.
Toxic childhood
Palmer's term for the damage done to children's development by technology, consumer culture and family change.
Exam tip A good contrast with the march of progress view.
Disappearance of childhood
Postman's claim that television has blurred the line between children and adults.
Exam tip Explain his argument about information hierarchies, then evaluate.
Age patriarchy
Gittins's term for adults' domination of children.
Exam tip A conflict view. Give examples of control over space, time and bodies (Hockey and James).
Adult control
The ways adults restrict children's space, time, bodies and access to resources.
Exam tip Useful for questions on conflict views of childhood.
Acting up
Hockey and James's term for children doing things associated with adults, such as swearing, to resist the status of child.
Exam tip Shows that children can resist adult control.
Pester power
Children's ability to make parents buy things, created by advertising aimed at them.
Exam tip Links childhood to consumer culture.
Ages of childhood
The legal ages that mark the boundaries of childhood, such as the school-leaving age.
Exam tip Use them as evidence that childhood is socially defined.
Generational inequality
The idea that children as a group are disadvantaged compared with adults.
Exam tip Compare with inequalities among children by class, gender and ethnicity, which the conflict view stresses.
Infant mortality rate
The number of babies who die before their first birthday per thousand live births in a year.
Exam tip Falling IMR is one reason parents now have fewer children and invest more in each.
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