Childhood and Its Social Construction
'Social construction' means that an idea is shaped by society and culture, rather than being a fixed, natural fact, and sociologists argue that childhood is a social construction rather than a biologically fixed stage of life.
Method
- Define 'social construction' clearly before applying it: an idea shaped by society/culture and varying across time and place, not a fixed biological fact.
- Use Aries' historical evidence as the core named study for the 'childhood has not always existed in its modern form' argument.
- Use a cross-cultural comparison, such as Punch's study of Bolivian children, to show childhood varies today as well as historically, strengthening the social construction argument.
- Learn the two competing views on how childhood has changed over time: the 'march of progress' view, childhood has improved, becoming more protected and valued, versus the 'disappearing childhood' view, Postman argues television has blurred the boundary between adult and child knowledge, Palmer's 'toxic childhood' argues modern pressures such as junk food, marketing and screen time are harming children.
- For 'explain' questions, always link the claim to a named sociologist or study; for 'assess'/'discuss' questions, weigh the march of progress evidence against the disappearing/toxic childhood evidence.
- Avoid simply describing what children do today; the marks are for explaining why childhood is a variable social construction rather than a fixed, natural stage.
Worked example
Using Aries' study, explain how the social construction of childhood in Britain has changed since medieval times.
- Identify the sociologist and method: Philippe Aries used historical sources, such as paintings and documents, to study family life in the past.
- State his finding about medieval Europe: once children were considered able to survive without constant adult care, they were treated much like small adults, sharing adult clothing, work and leisure activities.
- State his claim about change over time: from around the seventeenth century onward, childhood gradually became recognised as a separate, protected stage of life, with its own clothing, education and expectations.
- Explain why this supports 'social construction': if the treatment of children has changed so much across historical periods within the same society, childhood cannot simply be a fixed, biological stage, since it is shaped by the beliefs and structures of a particular time.
- Conclude with the wider point: this is why sociologists distinguish 'childhood' as a social construction from mere biological immaturity, which does not change across time or place.
Practice questions
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Q1What does 'childhood is a social construction' mean?Show answer
Answer: That the idea and experience of childhood is shaped by society and culture, and varies across different time periods and places, rather than being a fixed, natural fact.
Q2Which sociologist used historical evidence to argue that modern childhood developed gradually from around the seventeenth century?Show answer
Answer: Philippe Aries.
Q3According to Aries, how were children treated in medieval Europe once they no longer needed constant care?Show answer
Answer: Much like small adults, sharing similar clothing, work and activities with adults.
Q4Which sociologist studied children in rural Bolivia to show childhood varies across cultures today?Show answer
Answer: Samantha Punch.
Q5What did Punch's study find about children's responsibilities in rural Bolivia?Show answer
Answer: Children took on significant work and household responsibilities from a young age, unlike the more protected, extended childhood typical in many Western societies.
Q6Name a sociologist associated with the 'disappearance of childhood' argument, linked to the influence of media.Show answer
Answer: Neil Postman.
Q7Give one piece of evidence that childhood in modern Britain is treated as a distinct, protected life stage.Show answer
Answer: For example, laws setting a minimum age for employment or marriage, or the length of compulsory education, which separate children's lives from adult responsibilities.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Sociology exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
Explain two ways in which childhood can be seen as a social construction rather than a fixed, natural stage of life.
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'Childhood in Britain today is better than it has ever been.' Discuss this view.
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See real GCSE Sociology past-paper questions, with official mark schemes →
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