Essay on Social Construction of Child and Childhood

Social construction of child and childhood To start with an overview of social constructionism in very general terms leads to build understandings of child and childhood in a social world more explicitly. Notion of social construction is defined in diverse disciplines and instead of generating a description there are a number of thoughts. â€Å"It is sometimes called a movement, at other times a position, a theory, a theoretical orientation, an approach; psychologists remain unsure of its status (Stam 2001, p. 294)†. Vivien (1995, p. 10) points the origin of social constructionism stems from two to three hundred years ago in the period of enlightenment, modernism and postmodernism. By all means, Berger and Luckmann’ (1966) book The Social†¦show more content†¦Having said that though, it does not require generalisation gender in this context, this example is used for have a clue in this basic sequence. Together with some limitations which will be discussed in following parts, social constructionism shoul d be considered to understand relations in social world. It is safe to assume that social constructionism is the one of the core idea for define child, the substantial part of this social world. It is generally reported that the definition of child categorizes a group of people according to age as in Convention Article 1 declared: For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means every human being below the age of 18 years unless under the law applicable to the child majority is attained earlier. However, UNICEF answered question of age range by saying there are some circumstances which can change benchmark ages namely the age for admission into employment, obligatory education. In other words according to countries age range is changeable and it can be varying. The question of those variations evokes the socially constructed of child and childhood. First time Arià ©s (1962) illuminated childhood in the context of social construction with his research from the Middle Ages onwards (James James 2004). At beginning of his book he exemplified this by asking the age of one child can be answered easily but other child in the African bush does not know their age as a tang ible concept. It hasShow MoreRelatedSocial Construction of Childhood Essay1286 Words   |  6 Pages1. Introduction Social constructionism gives meaning to phenomenon in social context and connections between culture and society build up realities in their circumstances. The studies of this idea have been conducted more than thirty years by a number of North American, British and continental writers (Burr, 1995). However, in childhood studies this notion appears later on. It is mostly held universally, childhood is a stage that biologically existing in human life in early years. It should be consideredRead MoreAssess the Sociological Explanation That Childhood Is a Social Construction.1499 Words   |  6 Pagesexplanation that childhood is a social construction. Childhood is the time of a person’s life when they are a child. Childhood is said to be socially constructed, meaning that it has not been influenced by nature but has been shaped by the quality of family life and the culture within society. The social construction of childhood points out that childhood is dependent on a number of social factors rather than a biological stage. Sociologists argue about what the term ‘childhood’ actually means. TheyRead MoreHow Childhood Has Changed over the Centuries1220 Words   |  5 Pagesideas about childhood over the centuries, there are several points of discussion that arise. Many ideas surrounding the change and evolved over the centuries, ideas such as the views towards education and the impact of the industrial revolution on westerns societies views towards childhood, due to the limited space, this essay will focus on two underlying issues which have contributed greatly to the changing ideas about childhood over the cent uries, which are; the recognition of childhood and innocenceRead MoreTo What Extent Can Childhood Be Considered a Social Construction?1489 Words   |  6 Pageswhat extent can childhood be considered a social construction? This essay will analyse the major experiences by which childhood is constructed: one determined by the society and the other examined personally. Following this approach will be explained socially constructed childhood that asserts children’s attitudes, expectations and understandings that are defined by a certain society or culture. Furthermore various aspects of childhoods will be taken into account in relation to social, economic, historicalRead MoreSocial Construction Of Childhood Essay770 Words   |  4 Pagesmeaning of social construction of childhood. I am very familiar with the history of psychology and children’s literature. My grandmother used to live with us when I was a young, and she told me many stories of the past. For this reason, I am able to link the materials I study to the real world. The social construction of childhood is somehow new to me. Especially the way Postman (1999) expresses social construction of childhood. For example, he stated,  "In the twentieth century, childhood began toRead MoreChildren Are Wearing Christmas Hats And Doing Cooking797 Words   |  4 Pagesactive learners and their childhood seems colourful as they are given opportunity to experience different activities such as cooking. The potential purpose of the representation is that children are competent and active learners and they enjoy activities include cooking. The conception of the child as competent and active learners is a generally believed image. Early childhood education philosophies, practices, and policies have strongly implicated this view of childhood so that children are givenRead MoreThe Un Convention On The Rights Of Children789 Words   |  4 PagesINTRODUCTION The UN Convention on the Rights of children defines a child as â€Å"everyone under the age of 18 years, unless under the law applicable to the child majority is attained. The UK has a number of laws protecting children and guaranteeing them basic rights The changing ideas about children have led many scientists to claim that childhood is a social construction. The scientists use this term to mean that â€Å"understandings of childhood are not the same everywhere and that while all societies acknowledgeRead MoreAssess the view that the position of childhood in society has improved851 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Childhood is a social construction, as it is not natural, and is a result of society identifying and labelling a phase of life. No child experiences exactly the same childhood at exactly the same period of time in their life. In turn childhood should be distinguished from biological life stages. How we treat children, expect them to behave, look and develop all vary depending on the time and place in which the society lies, therefore childhood is a social construction. One view sociologists takeRead MoreCo Constructive Environments Create Learning Opportunities For Children927 Words   |  4 Pageslearning opportunities for children. 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This sociological shift occurred in response to the 3 other dominant sociological perspectives; romanticism