Childhood As A Social Construct - Social science pgce.
A social construct is a concept created by society, such as the meanings given to certain words and gestures. (e.g. waving is a friendly welcome). (e.g. waving is a friendly welcome). Childhood is often described as a social construct because it is not given the same meaning across cultures and time, but is specific to each society.
Many sociologists would regard the concept of childhood as being a social construction as it varies according to time and place. Within western society it is generally accepted that childhood is a distinct time of life that has different expectations than adulthood and which regards children as being generally more vulnerable and in need of.
In exploring about childhood as social construction, it has been attempted to explicate certain of the conceptions at the heart of social studies of children and childhood. So the essay begins with the basic conceit of childhood studies: what is a child? The very basic notion of “child” is connected to further through historical perspectives of childhood which further leads to accentuating.
Keating linked the criminal construction of childhood to that of parenthood, since parents have a duty to curtail anti-social and criminal behaviour by promoting good social values. The law continues to maintain a presumption of doli incapax, the age of which remains at 11, but sees children as needing to be controlled and taught to respect social order. This view is utilised by both the media.
Examine the ways in which childhood can be said to be socially constructed (24 marks) A social construct is an idea or concept that has been created and defined within society. Many sociologists argue that childhood is a social construct, as it isn’t a fixed, universal idea, and differs in different areas and time periods. There are historical and cultural differences in how childhood is.
Yet a baby is born into a social world, a linguistic world, a gendered world, an adult world. Arguably the infant in its utter helplessness, without control or language, is given meaning by adults in the context of a wider culture: Childhood, the invention of adults, reflects adult needs and adult fears quite as much as it signifies the absence of adulthood. In the course of history children.
In this essay, I will attempt to explore ways in which childhood is said to be socially constructed by looking at historical childhood and how it has led to construction of modern childhood in the modern society. I will also explore the agency of children as competent social actors able to construct their social world. Having established what I.