Using material from item 2B and elsewhere assess the view that the modern family has become more child-centred. (24 marks)

by kidkadi (student)

Sociologists argue about what the term ‘childhood’ actually means. They say that childhood is a social construction, rather than a natural state. Our current society has become more child-centred than what it was in the past; I am going to assess the view that modern family has become more child-centred.

Neil Postman says that childhood is ‘disappearing. He says that the cause of the disappearance of childhood lies in the rise of television culture and this has meant that children are being given the same rights as adults.

Postman says that childhood is a social construction and that it has changed over time. He states that childhood is created by society and culture, and not biology. This could be proven by looking historically at how ‘being a child’ has changed. In the middle Ages, childhood was a very different back then and Aries an historian, said that to an extent, ‘childhood did not exist’.

Young & Wilmot say that the March of Progress view says that over the last few centuries, the position of children in today’s societies has been improving steadily and is better today than it ...

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Young & Wilmot say that the March of Progress view says that over the last few centuries, the position of children in today’s societies has been improving steadily and is better today than it has been.

Aries said that children and adults were not separated and had the same responsibilities as each other. Children were expected to go to work with their parents at a young age, most probably at the age of 4 or 5, to learn the family trade. This was to bring income into the home and children were generally not sent to school. Childhood was not associated with innocence, and there was no sense of mystery within the adult world.

Aries and Shorter hold a march of progress view and believe that children today are more valued, better cared for, protected and enjoy more benefits than of previous generations. Children today are protected from harm and exploitation by laws against child abuse and child labour. Nowadays, children are being educated and are taught by professionals and at no cost. The government spent an estimated £64 billion pounds on education. Better healthcare and higher standards of living mean that babies now have a much better chance of survival than a century ago. Higher living standards and smaller family sizes (nuclear family) mean that parents are now able to provide for the children properly. It is estimated that once a child reaches their 21st birthday, they will have cost their parents around £200,000.

March of progress sociologists say that the family has become child-centred and that they are now the focal point of the family. Parents now invest a lot of time into caring for their children emotionally as well as financially.

In conclusion looking at today’s view of childhood, it is clear to say that society is more childhood centred. A lot of money is being spent by the government to keep children dependant for a long time, and because they are dependent the parents have to support them from birth all the way up to the point of finishing education.

Kumail-Abbas Datoo