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.

Minna & Elizabeth - VIDEO: FRIENDSHIP - Go shopping together, claim to have same taste in all things - 'we're a photocopy of each other'

Bedroom has aspects of their Chinese culture along side pictures of their favourite pop stars.

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

Momentary physical playmateChildren aged 3-5 define friends in terms of shared activities & geographical locations i.e school/neighboursOne-way assistanceChildren 6-8 become aware of others likes & dislikes, but don't acknowledge the reciprocal nature of friendship.Fairweather co-operationReciprical understanding from 9-12 yearsMutual concern11-15 years - friendship seen as a bond built over time, made stable by mutual support

ETHNOGRAPHIC APPROACH - studying children by extensive observation and involvement in their activities

CHITTAGONG - Bilkis, Taslema & Kobita playing kut-kut, shopping & making mash. Describe what friendship means to them.

Middle-class CHITTAGONG - Exemplifies girls friendship - close friends, met 2 years ago when Minna joined Elizabeth's school - MINNA - "we're a photocopy of each other, that's what I think"

ANDY & CHET - known each otehr since pre-school. CHET says shared interest in drawing cartoons & aikido maintains their friendship.BOYS & GIRLS form single sex groups - boys informal - girls more tightly bound

BAGWELL et al studied friendships over 13 year period - established link between positive childhood friendships to quality of life in adulthood. However, this could be because of personality features.

PURITAN - Encouraged by Church children thought of as sinful. Encouraged to read the Bible.Hugh Rhodes (1545) - Book of Nurture - an early guide to childcare - children should read the Bible & other Church teachings and kept from reading fables and stories.Alternative view to LOCKE - Mary Sherwood wrote The History of the Fairchild Family (1818) - exemplifies Wesley's view that children should be subservient to their parents & there should be a religious emphasis in families.

Philosopher JOHN LOCKE wrote Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693). Advocated that children born like 'blank slats' ready to be written upon. Recommended a more gentler and enjoyable approach to learning.LOCKE's views influenced JOHN NEWBURY NEWBURY published the Little Pretty Pocket-Book (1744). Written with children as readership.Also, The History of Little Goody Two-Shoes (1765). Strong moral values but written to amuse children.

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU - wrote EMILE (1762) proposed 'natural' upbringing for BOYS but concerned that GIRLS accept subservience to men & learn how to please their husbands.Recommended Daniel Defoe's ROBINSON CRUSOE for teenagersSaw CHILDHOOD AS A SEPARATE STATE to be valued in own rightInfluenced poets such as Wordsworth, Blake & Coleridge & writers e.g. THE SECRET GAREN - Frances Hodgson Burnett, ENID BLYTON, A.A. MILNE,

Charles KINGSLEY - SOCIAL REFORMER - drew attention to children's working conditionsTom, orphan chimney sweep, cruelly treated by aster, runs away and is transformed into water baby.

Sees fairy tales as an expression of children's inner fears e.g. Hansel & Gretel - fear of being abandoned by parents.Critised - does not acknowledge that children may take different meanings from stories - or that stories change through history and in different cultural contexts.