Sociology of childhood class, introduction to discussion

1. Children, Childhood and
parenting in Historical
Context
Childhood and Education: Sociological Perspective
EDTHP 597
Renata Horvatek

2. LAYOUT
Childhood as social construct
Historical perspectives on childhood
Social constructs of a child and parenting
Sociological and historical changes
Discussion:
Images, documents, questions
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

3. Childhood - social construct
Childhood is socially constructed
it is not only a biological or natural state!
The idea of childhood varies across time, culture and
place
“The idea of childhood is not to be confused with affection for
children: it corresponds to an awareness of the particular
nature of childhood […] that distinguishes the child from the
adult.” (Philippe Ariès, 1962)
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

4. Dominant social constructs of
a childhood
The Miniature Adult
Evil/immoral child
Innocent child
Diego Velasquez (1633)
Prince Baltasar Carlos in Silver
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

5. Philippe Ariès (1914 – 1984)
Annales School
Resources and methods:
Secondary sources; paintings
and work of art
The emergence of childhood as a
social category
Changes in social institutions
shaped the idea of childhood –
from lack of awareness to
separation of children from
adults
13th century Madonna and child
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

6. 3 historical approaches to
childhood
“Idea of childhood as social construction made historians to adopt
children’s perspectives and voices in their studies of children and
childhood”. (Corsaro, 2011)
Affects of institutional changes in pre-modern world on the
social construction of childhood (Aries)
Social construction of childhood within the family and its
historical shifts (deMause, Pollock)
Childhood influencing the world of adults
(Mintz, Hanawalt, Alston, Wiggins, West, Nasaw)
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

7. Historical approaches to
parenting
“[…] ideas about childrearing, like all ideas, bear a
systematic and intelligible connection to the culture
and organization of the society in which they are
found.” (Hays, 1996)
• Child rearing and Mothering – socially
constructed and changed meanings during the
history
• Strict gender roles in child rearing during pre-
modern times – moral vs. emotional
• Turning point – 18th/19th century (Industrial
Revolution)
• IDEOLOGY OF INTENSIVE MOTHERING
• Construct of the middle class in the U.S.
URL:
• Social stratification https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/welcome/crimj4
41/print.html
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

8. Historical approaches to
parenting, cont.
Scientifically trained mothers during
the Progressive Era
Emotional, behavioral, cognitive
development of children
Intensive mothering - working class
and immigrant mothers
The Permissive Era (1930s – )
Child-centered family
Family as oppressive institution
(1960s)
URL:
http://vintageboomer.blogspot.com/2012/07/spock-
babies.html
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

9. Discussion
1/28/2013 Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting

10. Social constructs of child
(Sorin, 2005)
URL: http://www.nowpublic.com/world/child-soldiers-photo-16
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

11. Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNICEF, 1990)
Article 13
“1. The child shall have the right to freedom of expression;
this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and
impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of
frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of
art, or through any other media of the child's choice.”
• What construct(s) of the child we could read from this
Article of the Convention?
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013

12. Questions for discussion
1. When Hays paraphrases contemporary theorists about child-
rearing of children in the 19th century: “The children of the
middle classes are trained in independence, while children of
the working class are trained in obedience”, how would you
apply this notion in the contemporary society in the U.S., or
Western world, or even in other parts of the world that you are
familiar with?
Could we discuss about education system’s role in constructing
the images of children and mothers of different SES?
2. What role does history have in shaping the images of
childhood and parenting in the 21st century, and whose history
is it?
3. Are you aware of policies in your countries that affect the shift
of gender based roles in child-rearing?
Historical perspectives on childhood and parenting 1/28/2013