1. Contemporary Issues – Childhood
1. What is an empty nest family?
2. What are the five types of
family diversity outlined by the
Rapaports?
3. What is the dual burden?
4. What is the triple shift?
5. How do families serve
capitalism?
Saturday, 23 February 2019
When children have grown up and left their parents homes.
Social class: how social class affects resources etc
Organisational: divisions of domestic labour
Cultural: values and beliefs between families of different religions and ethnicities
Life cycle: stage in life cycle (birth to death)
Generational: period in history
Where women work and do domestic labour.
Where women work, do domestic labour and emotion work,
A unit of consumption: e.g. family holidays, family cars…
Economic function: women carry out unpaid labour, enabling men to work
Reproduce inequalities: upper class families pass on advantages to children and
working class families pass on disadvantages

2. There is no fixed, sociological
definition of what childhood is….
Instead, sociologists agree that it is a
social construct.
The concept of childhood varies
depending on culture, place,
and time. For example, age
restriction laws may influence
what age we believe childhood
to be, and these can differ
vastly across the world.
What is childhood?

3. The Position of Children in the UK Throughout Time
• Coming round will be a timeline, make sure you have one each
• We will be looking at childhood from pre-industrialization to the 20th
century
• On the board there will be explanations of childhood for each of the
four stages of childhood we will be looking at
• Read through the explanation with your partner and decide whether
this would have been the position of children pre-industrialisation,
during industrialisation, mid 19th century or 20th century, then write
these down in your timelines

4. • Children were ‘little adults’ who took part
in the same work and play activities.
• Toys and games for children did not exist.
• Aries: children seen as an economic asset,
rather than something to be cared for
• Children were punished for crimes in the
same way that adults were
• Children from W/C families still
worked in mines and factories
BUT!!!
• M/C attitudes started to change-
parents investing emotionally in
children as the death rate of
children was starting to fall
• Children were banned from
working in the factories and mines
where many had been killed.
• BUT some W/C parents resisted
changes as they depended on
children wages and many children
continued to be badly treated
• Child- centred society: children are valued,
loved and protected
• Improved standards of living= major
decline in infant mortality rates
• Increased availability of contraception
meant couples could choose to have fewer
children
Pre-industrialisation
20th Century
Industrialisation
Mid-19th Century

5. Pre-industrial society:
Industrialisation Mid 19th Century:
20th Century:

6. What period of time am I?
• Children and adults both work
• Children’s toys and games do not exist
• Lots of laws to protect children
• Many middle class children stop working
• Increased contraception
• Aries argued that children were regarded as an economic asset
• Child-centred society
Pre-industrial
Pre-industrial
20th Century
Industrialisation
20th Century
Pre-industrial20th Century

7. Reasons why families have become more child centred
• Coming round will be a spider-diagram about why families have
become more child-centred. However, it has only been half filled out!
The rest of the information will be below.
• Link the correct pieces of information together
Parents can invest more
emotionally and financially in
the children they do have
Infant mortality rate (the
amount of children surviving
after birth) has improved
All children now need to stay in
education or training until 18, pre-
industrialisation, this was a luxury
only m/c children could afford
There has been an increase
in pester power, how much
influence children have on
parental spending
Children have the legal
right to be free from abuse,
education, health care…
In parents do not meet the
legal rights entitled to
children, they are punished
Children living in poverty and/
or lone parent families have
extra financial support to
battle the affects of poverty

8. Reasons why
families have
become more
child centred.
Welfare state support for children, this means that…
Children have more legal rights this
means that…
Improvements in early years education and compulsory
schooling have meant that…..
Higher living standards have meant
that…
Children have become a target of consumer
marketing, this means that…
Smaller families have meant that…
Parents can invest more
emotionally and financially in
the children they do have
There has been an increase in
pester power, how much influence
children have on parental spending
Infant mortality rate (the
amount of children surviving
after birth) has improved
Children have the legal
right to be free from abuse,
education, health care…
In parents do not meet the
legal rights entitled to
children, they are punished
All children now need to stay in education
or training until 18, pre-industrialisation,
this was a luxury only m/c children could
afford
Children living in poverty and/ or lone
parent families have extra financial
support to battle the affects of poverty

9. Reasons why
families have
become more
child centred.
Welfare state support for children, this means that…
Children have more legal rights this
means that…
Improvements in early years education and compulsory
schooling have meant that…..
Higher living standards have meant
that…
Children have become a target of consumer
marketing, this means that…
Smaller families have meant that…

10. Two Minute Break

11. How do we decide what is ‘age appropriate’?
Activity Age I think it should be Actual age restriction
Be convicted of a serious crime
Engage in sexual intercourse
Join the armed forces
Claim benefits
Be left home alone
Give consent for your own
medical treatment
Go abroad alone
Apply to adopt a child
Get married
Vote
Buy alcohol or tobacco

12. How do we decide what is ‘appropriate’?
Be convicted of a serious crime 10
Engage in sexual intercourse 16
Join the armed forces 18
Claim benefits 16
Be left home alone 14
Give consent for your own medical
treatment
16
Go abroad alone 14 (with chaperone)
Apply to adopt a child 21
Get married 16
Vote 18
Buy alcohol or tobacco 18

13. Activity Age I think it should be Actual age restriction
Be convicted of a
serious crime
Engage in sexual
intercourse
Join the armed forces
Claim benefits
Be left home alone
Give consent for your
own medical treatment
Go abroad alone
Apply to adopt a child
Get married
Vote
Buy alcohol or tobacco
Activity Age I think it should be Actual age restriction
Be convicted of a
serious crime
Engage in sexual
intercourse
Join the armed forces
Claim benefits
Be left home alone
Give consent for your
own medical treatment
Go abroad alone
Apply to adopt a child
Get married
Vote
Buy alcohol or tobacco

14. Sue Palmer (2006)
“There are alarming signs of toxic childhood”
Where rapid technological and cultural changes cause
psychological and physical damage to children

15. According to Palmer the trend to ‘toxic childhood’ is
the result of…
1. Unhealthy food
2. A lack of play in natural
surroundings
3. Poor sleep patterns
4. Little time to interact within
the family
5. Decline in emotional security

16. Palmer notes that all of the negative trends are
reversible, a ‘detox childhood’.
In order to ‘detox childhood’ in Britain what
would you do?
What is the answer?

17. Differences in Childhood between Countries
Risa, 15, Kyoto, Japan Jasmine, 4, Kentucky, USA
Phnom Penh, 8, Roathy, Cambodia Alex, 9, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Children in non-industrialised countries differ in three
main ways:
1. Have more responsibility at an earlier age
2. Children’s sexual behaviour is viewed differently
3. Less emphasis on children showing obedience to adult
authority

18. Cross-cultural differences in childhood
The freedom from adult responsibilities experienced by
many Western children is not found in all societies.
• The International Labour Organisation say that:
• 28% (58 million) children are in work
• Child Soldiers International:
• 2004-2007 child soldiers were involved in active conflict in 21 countries
This tells us that
childhood is not the
same in every society

19. Explanations for changes in Childhood
Dependent Children
In the UK dependent children
are either under 16 or 16-19
undertaking full time
education.
Cross cultural differences in
childhood
The way in which children are
viewed and treated across
different cultures and around
the world
Socially constructed
The concept of childhood is a
socially constructed and
biological period before adult
status and referring to a set
of beliefs about what it
means to be a child
Child centeredness
Families have become more
child focussed. This
developed within the nuclear
family with more attention,
money and status given to
the child.
Children need to be
protected
The idea that childhood has
been developed into a
“special” and vulnerable time.
Toxic Childhood
Sue Palmer said that rapid
technological change has
damaged children’s
development- changes in
availability of junk food,
computer games, intensive
marketing to children, long
hours worked by parents and
increased testing in
education.
Age patriarchy
Inequalities between adults
and children, the way in
which adults dominate
children
Pester power
The way in which children can
persistently persuade their
parents to buy things
Historical differences in
childhood
They way children are viewed
and treated has changed over
time
Colour code the statements:
Things have got better
Things have got worse
Little difference

20. Dependent Children
In the UK dependent children are
either under 16 or 16-19 undertaking
full time education.
Cross cultural differences in
childhood
The way in which children are viewed
and treated across different cultures
and around the world
Socially constructed
The concept of childhood is a socially
constructed and biological period
before adult status and referring to a
set of beliefs about what it means to
be a child
Child centeredness
Families have become more child
focussed. This developed within the
nuclear family with more attention,
money and status given to the child.
Children need to be protected
The idea that childhood has been
developed into a “special” and
vulnerable time.
Toxic Childhood
Sue Palmer said that rapid
technological change has damaged
children’s development- changes in
availability of junk food, computer
games, intensive marketing to
children, long hours worked by
parents and increased testing in
education.
Age patriarchy
Inequalities between adults and
children, the way in which adults
dominate children
Pester power
The way in which children can
persistently persuade their parents to
buy things
Historical differences in
childhood
They way children are viewed and
treated has changed over time

21. Exit Pass
True False
The concept of childhood is the same across all cultures
Changes in law in the UK has improved the safety of children and their experiences
of childhood
One reasons for our child-centred society is the increased availability and access to
contraception
Palmer argues that rapid technological and cultural changes have improved
children’s cause psychological and physical well-being
Children today have to stay in education or training until minimum 16
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