The future of childhood

The future of childhood

1. The disappearance of childhood

   • Postman: The rise, and fall, of childhood lies in the fall of print culture and its replacement by television culture
     • Critcism
       • Ignores other factors such as changes in law, rising living standards etc
     • Claims that children's unsupervised games are dying out
   • Less distinction between adults and children's clothes, crimes, entertainment and rights
   • During the middle ages, people were illiterate and there was no division between the worlds of men and women
     • Childhood emerged with mass literacy; the ability of reading for adults meant they had power over 'adult' knowledge (sex, money, violence, death)
       • 'Information hierarchy'
       • TV destroys information hierarchy and the boundary between adults and children, diminishing adult power. The tastes of adults and children become interweved

2. A separate childhood culture

   • Opie argues childhood is still present
     • Strong evidence of childhood culture still exists - children still create games, songs etc
     • Contradicts Postman's claim that children's unsupervised games are dying out

3. Globalisation of Western childhood

   • International humanitarian and welfare agencies impose western norms on rest of world
   • Campaigns against child labour about what 'childhood' ought to be, but isn't in other countries

4. The reconstruction of childhood

   • Palmer
     • 'Toxic childhood'
       • Junk food, computer games, educational stress
     • Technological and cultural changes have damaged physical and emotional development of children
   • Childhood as innocent and protected stage is under threat
   • Extension of compulsory education - children dependent for longer
   • Children have more rights but still not equal to adults
   • Disappearing childhood due to lower death rates - ageing population
   • Social construct, so changes with cultural and geographical situation