BLOCK 3 - Children's Cultural Worlds

ARGUES that television:- has caused the 'death of childhood'- is a 'total disclosure medium' - children learn 'secrets' of adult life- blurs boundaries between childhood & adulthood - children increasingly behave like adults- encourages precocious sexuality(Link Sue Palmer - Toxic Childhood)CRITICISED for - generalizing- not providing evidence of fundamental changes in family structures / early sexuality- makes assumptions about childhood - draws on Aries belief that childhood was 'invented' in the Middle Ages, did not exist before then.- assumption that making sense of tv is a natural rather than learned processPuritan view - wants to return to traditional moral values - where adults had control

Tapscott (1998)Childhood constructed concept. (In past children in poor families did not have a childhood).Agrees that TV/technology has blurred boundaries between childhood & adulthoodDigital technologies are empowering – a new form of liberation e.g. children produce blog sites, publish their own websites.Given children new skills to think about, use in their speech & play.TV New technologiesPassive InteractivePresents view Raises intelligenceIsolates Builds & communicatesTV generation Children hungry for conservative expression Hierarchical, Encourages self-inflexible, centralised development, savy, self-reliant & analytical, Globally orientated

Meyrowitz (1985) TV makes backstage behaviour visible to allTV reveals facts that contradict social myths (e.g. see Royal family/politicians as real people Blurs boundaries between1. Men & women2. Individual citizens & political representations3. Children & adults

STEPHEN WAGG argues:Blurring of boundaries between children & 'youth' - increasing issues previously considered taboo such as sex, drugs, family break up are incorporated into children's drama (e.g. Grange Hill)Media increasingly 'media centric' steering children to glamorous world of media rather than purposeful activityArguments against: Modern versions of old format appeal to children e.g. Andy Pandy, Muffin the MuleTV has evolvedTeletubbies is a continuation of the tradition of Watch with Mother.

MELISSA & HADLEY - UK NURSERY - play at being parents & babiesLAURA & AALLIYAH - pretend to play lost babies

BORDERWORK - term used to characerise the ways children tend to form single-sex friendship groups that create & strengthen gender boundaries.

SEAN & brothers - OAKLAND - playing in tunnel in park - appeal is its scariness - boys engage in daring gamesTINCO & friend - CHITTAGONG - jump on trains to nearby townJOSHUA - CAPETOWN - creates space in imagination by reading books