Examine the different sociological views on the changes in the experience of childhood in the past 50 years.

According to Aries, childhood can be defined as a social construction. Children were once regarded as ‘little adults’ and an economic asset rather than a symbol of love due to the high death and infant mortality rates making it hard to emotionally invest. However, now, a key aspect of childhood is ‘separateness’ from adulthood.

There have been several state policies that have constructed and defined childhood, one of which is the children’s act which aimed to give children more rights to make a positive contribution to society. It argues the best place to raise children is at home with their parents which brought about the social view that it is essential for children to spend time with immediate family in order to grow up to be independent.

Aries argues that childhood has changed. Instead of children being seen as an economic asset we now live in a child centred society which is good for the child. Some sociologists, such as Functionalists and the New Right argue that children are seen as precious in todays society. Parsons believes it is the parents responsibility to raise their children into being good citizens in society. New right sociologists are worried that this way of raising children has been undermined by a ‘child centered society’. In the 20th and 21st centuries it is argued that families have become increasingly child centred. Children are often seen as equals. With their separate leisure, spaces, and their protection, it could suggest that we view children as special and that society has become very child centred. There are many reasons as to why there is a growth of child centredness in society. One reason is the decline in the infant mortality rate which has encouraged parents to make greater financial and emotional investments with the fewer children they have. Also the wide range of laws/policies that have been introduced to protect children. The childrens act defines parents having responsibilities rather than rights while the UN convention on the rights of children (1989) lays down entitlement to healthcare and education and protection from abuse. In 1991 children were able to choose who had custody of them. Social services and the police were given greater powers to intervene. Some children have even divorced their parents. Furthermore, Phillips, a new Right theorist, argues that children are vulnerable and in need of protection. They are too immature to make decisions about their lives, particularly as they have become increasingly important over the past 50 years. Increases in eating disorders and suicide show this. Phillips can be criticized by Morrow who believes children can be positive contributors to family life, however, both the conventional and alternative view generalize their arguments in this case.

However, other sociologists, such as child liberationists, argue that society is not child centred and that access to the media blurs the distinction between both adult and child. Postman argues that childhood is disappearing due to an increase in exposure to violence and death on TV and in the media, as well as social blurring and a lack of markers of adulthood such as marriage, careers and housing. The difference between children and adults is becoming less obvious. In response to this, some may argue that childhood is merely changing, rather than disappearing, with society. Childhood has never remained constant throughout time and culture and therefore allows room for it to transform and consequently perhaps childhood can no longer be described as separate to adulthood. In addition, social blurring is not always negative as it is natural for children to idealise their parents as well as a positive thing by promoting respect within the family. Pugh argues that parents who are cash rich but time poor now use consumption as compensation for the lack of time they spend with their children as a result of guilt. Although some may argue that consumption can be a positive thing as shopping in many cases has become a family activity.
The New Right Sociologists developed ‘the caretaker thesis’ which argues that adults should make the decisions for the children, as they are seen as vulnerable and immature. They generally see childrens as a collective entity and therefore believe all children have the same experiences of childhood. In response to this, Punch studied children in Bolivia and found that at age 5 children were expected to work and take on responsibilities. In agreement Firth found that amongst the tokopia tribe in western pacific little action was taken to compel the obedience of children. If an adult directed a child, it was something a child decided to do if they choose to do so. This cultural variation shows childhood to be a social construction as if it were biological everyone would have the same experiences. Since childhood i seen as a social construct we can see how it keeps changing.

To conclude, over the past 50 years it has been claimed that childhood is slowly disappearing whereas others would argue it is merely changing from it being separate to adulthood, to children once again taking responsibility for their own lives. Throughout the next 50 years, due to stories in the media, childhood may change once more as parents become more concerned and protective of many new dangers.