1. Wednesday 20 March 2013
Theoretical Approaches to
Childhood
Objective: To begin to understand
the different approaches to
viewing childhood.

2. Recap from last lesson
• Nick Lee ‘Childhood in an Age of Uncertainty’.
• 20th Century view
– Adults are stable, complete, fully rational, they have
become
– Children are unstable, incomplete, not fully rational
and are becoming
• 21st Century view
– Adults have become more like children in that they
are constantly redefining themselves, work and
relationships are no longer for life and therefore adults
are not complete
• Children are seen as people in their own right.

3. Two Main approaches to viewing
childhood:
Th e The
conve ative
ltern ch
ntion a
appro al
ap proa
ac h

4. The Conventional Approach
• This view is linked to many functionalists
and New Right thinkers
• Children are vulnerable and need
protection form the adult world.
• Single mothers can be ‘blamed’ from
problems in society as they do not provide
the ‘right’ or ‘ideal’ way to raise a child
• Homosexuality and media violence are
seen as threats to innocent children

5. Melanie Phillips
• Her book ‘All must have prizes’ 1997
• She argues that culture of parenting has
broken down and the innocence of childhood
is being undermined by 2 trends:
– Liberal ideas have distorted the concept of
parenting
– The media and peer group are more influential than
parents
• Childhood is therefore shortened. Adulthood
encroaches on the experience of children a great deal
earlier than in the past.
• As a result social problems e.g. self harm, drug /
alcohol abuse, suicide, eating disorders, depression
are on the increase

6. Sue Palmer
• Her book ‘Toxic Childhood’ (2007)
• Adults have benefited from improved
technologies / wealthier society.
• But these advances have harmed children who
no longer get traditional parenting methods
(stories, reading, quality time)
• Instead parents are too happy to use tv,
electronic games and junk food to keep
children quiet.
• ‘every year children become more distractible,
impulsive and self-obsessed – less able to learn,
to enjoy life, to thrive socially.’

7. ‘Children as Consumers’
• This is a trend which is
alarming some
sociologists as it is on
the increase
• Children aged 7-11 are
worth about £20 million
a year as consumers
• Advertisers have
therefore targeted
children in order to
encourage ‘pester
power’.

8. There are 3 related concerns:
1. Commentators hark back to a ‘golden age’ of
childhood – less pressure less complex. The
consumer-orientated society we have now sees
children as manipulating their parents. Pugh (2002)
‘consumption as compensation’ parents are ‘cash-
rich but time-poor’ spending alleviates guilt.
2. Evans and Chandler (2006) peer pressure was an
important factor in consumption. Name-calling and
bullying would ensue if the latest trend or label wasn’t
followed. (Poorer families felt this pressure most.)
3. Advertising aimed at children is often ‘anti-adult’
making rebellion appear ‘cool’. It’s argued that this
undermines parental authority and contributes to
perceived increase in anti-social behaviour amongst
children.