Notion of childhood in Crisis - created from Mind Map

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Hugh Cunningham

contemporary reports on childhood in crisis is nothing new and can be understood to be cyclical rather than new happenings

Pearson's study presents a history of moral panic which is often media driven through adults fear of change

argues it was twentieth century that saw rapid change in how children were seen not because parents loved them more but because the state became committed to equality along with children's rights to grow and enjoy life

Sue Palmer is critic of modern childhood and concerned we are producing battery reared children and agrees crisis in childhood is due to new media and technology having changed over last 25 years which has had big impact on modern life

the side effects of cultural change have brought about a toxic cocktail effect that is damaging to social, emotional and cognitive development

she state children are only happy when they have 'stuff' wanting things, buying things, which shows a distorted view of what makes a child happy and content

that lack of play space and play itself and stress of academic success are all part of the problem ~ modern childhood is constantly being watched and placed under pressure which causes anxiety and contaminates childhood experiences

she proposes children are battery reared rather than free range

As result of governments believing childhood is in crisis Green paper Every Child Matters 2004 which had 5 main points

staying safe - healthy- enjoying and achieving - economic well-being -positive contribution

Frank Furedi felt media portrays families in crisis which fuels angst in parents and makes them feel vulnerable as a family unit which knocks the confidence out of parents

he thinks the causes are breakdown in adult solidarity as people are worried to be seen intervening with children in case they are accused of wrong doing

saying parents have lost confidence in themselves to parents and feel under threat and out of control

one area for contention is safety of children and has escalated into a national obsession parents fear for the safety of their child are at times this is in the extreme as to what may happen to them

parents are active in all aspects of child rearing to the point they have little to do with local community or even family

he claims this can be referred to as break down in adult solidarity as adults no longer look out for each other or see them selves as having duty of care to all children ~ which has resulted in distrust of all adults who may be potential abusers of children

he suggested children may be exploiting this fact and are keen to exert power over adult insecurities

he concludes child rearing practices are linked to parenting styles that is encouraged by culture

twenty-first century media and public discourses on childhood invoke a notion of childhood in crisis and a general assumption that childhood is not like it used to be ~ but this is often an adult cliché and adults often refer to 'when we were young'

memories can be powerful and may have a bearing on how we think childhood should be

the notion that childhood is in crisis has developed across a range of sites from media texts, cultural discussion, and policy and document initiatives

Jean-Jacques Rousseau

believed children came from God and placed them close to nature as blessed creatures who should be unspoilt by adult world and worries, he was concerned that children became contaminated by adults ~

this was during the 18th century Romantic Movement which conjured up images of childhood as a state of innocence and pure mind

childhood can be understood from historical point and minority world contexts UK in particular where media lamented on how childhood was in crisis due to modern world, overexposure to technological gadgets and electronic media and lack of outdoor spaces to play in and over reinforcing of academic testing of children

UNICEF report placed uk at bottom of table for well-being despite their national wealth children were growing up in poverty ~ and were more vulnerable their experiences of childhood were difficult which led to debate about Childhood in Crisis

this led to change in policy documents which were commissioned by UK Government

Notion of childhood in Crisis