Evaluate ways in which government policies may affect the experience of childhood today. [20
marks]
The dominate framework on childhood outlines a common-sense approach towards defining
childhood. It states that childhood is a natural and inevitable stage that we all go through; therefore,
due to a child’s biological immaturity it makes sense to see their size and lack of experiences as
different to that of adults. However, Aries describes a medieval world where there was little
distinction between children and adults. Prout and James suggest that sharp distinctions between
childhood and adulthood emerged because of rationalism during the Enlightenment period. As
children were irrational, Western societies adopted government policies around maintaining a
dichotomy between them and adults. It could be argued that over the past 50 years this gulf has
widened due to the West’s obsession with keeping children safe from the dangers of adult life.
Government policies that focus on child protection have an impact on the ‘golden age’ children
experience today. For example, polices such as Every Child Matters outline statutory guidance for
promoting the welfare of children in must organisations across the UK. These polices help to
safeguard children from physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Policies such as these have
helped Western societies to further progress its child-centred view towards childhood. It is now
common practice for children to be quarantined and kept away from the stresses associated with
adult life, whilst at the same time being made to take part in more leisure activities than children in
previous generations.
Furthermore, government policies that have led to changes to education provision for children have
helped to extend childhood. For example, compulsory schooling now makes it illegal for children
under the age of 16 to not be in education or training. These polices make children more dependent
on their parents for a longer time. However, these policies also change the experiences of children by
giving them greater opportunity for social mobility. Children today are more able to achieve their
status in comparison to children in the pre-industrial era whose status was ascribe to them; but
extending childhood also leaves children more vulnerable for a longer period. Children in Western
societies are susceptible to age patriarchy as their activities appear to be more tightly controlled by
social agencies in comparison to non-Western children.
Conversely, individuals such as Postman argue that the distinction between childhood and adulthood
is becoming blurred again. He outlines polices that give the same rights to children as adults. For
example, in some States in America children can be arrested and held in custody in the same way as
adults. In September 2019, Orlando police arrested a six-year-old girl for throwing a tantrum at
school. The girl was handcuffed and taken to a juvenile detention facility, fingerprinted and had her
mugshot taken. Palmer goes further and suggests that laws and policies which support the Western
obsession with child-centredness is leading to toxic childhood. For example, in January 2014 the
British government introduced a sugar tax to encourage the food industry to reduce the amount of
sugar in soft drinks. The government was responding to pressures from health organisations around
the growing rate of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Palmer outlines that the
quarantined nature of childhood in post-modern societies results in children living sedentary
lifestyles, this is leading to children developing similar lifestyle diseases as adults such as type 2
diabetes.
Child liberationists take a similar approach as Palmer by criticising government policies that apply
restrictions on the space, time, and bodies of children. Conflict theorists argue that many laws
introduced in the name of ‘child protection’ are really about the oppression and control of children.
Gittins uses the term ‘Age Patriarchy’ to refer to adult domination over children. Parents or guardians
marks]
The dominate framework on childhood outlines a common-sense approach towards defining
childhood. It states that childhood is a natural and inevitable stage that we all go through; therefore,
due to a child’s biological immaturity it makes sense to see their size and lack of experiences as
different to that of adults. However, Aries describes a medieval world where there was little
distinction between children and adults. Prout and James suggest that sharp distinctions between
childhood and adulthood emerged because of rationalism during the Enlightenment period. As
children were irrational, Western societies adopted government policies around maintaining a
dichotomy between them and adults. It could be argued that over the past 50 years this gulf has
widened due to the West’s obsession with keeping children safe from the dangers of adult life.
Government policies that focus on child protection have an impact on the ‘golden age’ children
experience today. For example, polices such as Every Child Matters outline statutory guidance for
promoting the welfare of children in must organisations across the UK. These polices help to
safeguard children from physical, psychological, and emotional harm. Policies such as these have
helped Western societies to further progress its child-centred view towards childhood. It is now
common practice for children to be quarantined and kept away from the stresses associated with
adult life, whilst at the same time being made to take part in more leisure activities than children in
previous generations.
Furthermore, government policies that have led to changes to education provision for children have
helped to extend childhood. For example, compulsory schooling now makes it illegal for children
under the age of 16 to not be in education or training. These polices make children more dependent
on their parents for a longer time. However, these policies also change the experiences of children by
giving them greater opportunity for social mobility. Children today are more able to achieve their
status in comparison to children in the pre-industrial era whose status was ascribe to them; but
extending childhood also leaves children more vulnerable for a longer period. Children in Western
societies are susceptible to age patriarchy as their activities appear to be more tightly controlled by
social agencies in comparison to non-Western children.
Conversely, individuals such as Postman argue that the distinction between childhood and adulthood
is becoming blurred again. He outlines polices that give the same rights to children as adults. For
example, in some States in America children can be arrested and held in custody in the same way as
adults. In September 2019, Orlando police arrested a six-year-old girl for throwing a tantrum at
school. The girl was handcuffed and taken to a juvenile detention facility, fingerprinted and had her
mugshot taken. Palmer goes further and suggests that laws and policies which support the Western
obsession with child-centredness is leading to toxic childhood. For example, in January 2014 the
British government introduced a sugar tax to encourage the food industry to reduce the amount of
sugar in soft drinks. The government was responding to pressures from health organisations around
the growing rate of children being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Palmer outlines that the
quarantined nature of childhood in post-modern societies results in children living sedentary
lifestyles, this is leading to children developing similar lifestyle diseases as adults such as type 2
diabetes.
Child liberationists take a similar approach as Palmer by criticising government policies that apply
restrictions on the space, time, and bodies of children. Conflict theorists argue that many laws
introduced in the name of ‘child protection’ are really about the oppression and control of children.
Gittins uses the term ‘Age Patriarchy’ to refer to adult domination over children. Parents or guardians
