Childhood began when children became separated from adults. Involved in that evolutionary step are numerous changes accounting for this massive transformation, involving both the society and its social construction on what should be the roles of a child a

          The landmark changes that started to distinguish the differences of children and adults were the education and work laws, these inevitably triggered a new view of what childhood was. The changes in the position of children began in the 19th century, when a broad series of labour acts commenced which restricted children from working in factories and mines (labour acts and Pilcher- legislation banning children from factories and mines), this was a huge landmark, it enabled the idea of society to come up with schooling for the children. Education had become more and more common, however it was first caught on by the upper classes, it took the lower class a little longer to begin to send their children to school mainly because they were less financially privileged (In 1870 the Elementary education act came in, it set the framework for the schooling of children over the age of five and under the age of thirteen in England and Wales).  

          These previous stated acts, gave way to various other child ‘values’. Children started to receive special treatment. Soon after these acts, children became banned from most jobs, the Forster act in 1870, showed the beginning of elementary education (this is when women started to stay at home and look after the children and became compliably less independent). In the eyes of society children had their own needs separate from that of adults, children psychologists and doctors even started to develop in society (i.e. paediatricians). Another fine example was the work of Gittens in 1998, he stated that the decline in infant mortality and the decline in birth rate after World War II, led families to value their children more, they became the objects of fun and pleasure. This is the concrete time were children started to take priority over adults, they were cherished, offspring were the result of a loving and committed relationships and the idea that children needed nurturing arose.

          During the 20th and 21st century, views on childhood and child welfare at this stage had grown drastically. In 1908 childhood was classified at the age of fourteen, which was the age for leaving school (these were the real beginnings to the child centred family). In 1989, a childcare act commenced which stated that a court was obliged to make decisions based on interests and benefits of children. According to Hood Williams children at this period were no longer seen as producers but consumers, this was a strong indicator of child power. At some stage in this era of childhood teenagers emerged, which fired a growth in youth subcultures, a huge teenage consumer market and vast laws plus development of welfare states including children and their concerns. Children are now more seen as ‘consumers’ instead of producers. Laws and child rights were created for their welfare which protected them from exploitation and neglect (Rights: ‘Children have the right to education and play’ ‘Governments should ensure that children are properly cared for, and protect them from violence abuse and neglect’).

           There are some points that have arisen which indicate that now childhood exists in the age and world that we live in it could now be disappearing, in other words children are once again becoming more like adults due to mass media, dress, outlook and the immensity of rights that they have. Neil Postman (1983) suggests that the childhood is disappearing because today children are not protected from the adult world and this is mostly because of mass media, which destroys the boundaries between childhood and adulthood. Nick Lee (2001) objects that point view saying that childhood is not disappearing, but becoming more complex and ambiguous. Children are still dependent on their parents, but have their own opinions and views, which makes them independent to some extent.

           Fact, childhood is indeed a social construction! The laws and regulations about what a child is meant to be in this day and age are comical, why should a ‘child’ be able to smoke and get married at sixteen yet reluctantly is banned from voting and contributing in the decision of our countries next political leader until the age of 18? However compared to industrialization where children were cruelly and obliged to work under horrendous conditions and were incapable of receiving an education, society from a different perspective has grown. Children went from young adults forced into unfair labour, to being recognised and innocent children, is it now possible that due to the mass media and other factors in today’s society that childhood is once again disappearing and that the concept of young adult will be reinstated? From child exploitation and neglect to excessive child rights in today’s world (EMA, CMEC, etc...) all proves how ideas and concepts of childhood and the positions of children will continuously revolutionize between time periods and societies from one extreme to another.