The Future of Childhood (AQA A Level Sociology): Revision Note

The disappearance of childhood

• Sociologists continue to debate whether childhood is disappearing, evolving, or simply being experienced differently in contemporary society

Postman's view of childhood

• Postman (1994) takes a structural approach, viewing childhood as a shared experience for all in Western society

• He argues that childhood is disappearing due to the influence of television and digital media

• He claims that the boundary between childhood and adulthood is becoming increasingly blurred

• This is due to the breakdown of the information hierarchy:

  • In the past, adults controlled access to knowledge through the printed word

  • Children were excluded from this information because they couldn’t read

• Now, television and the internet allow children easy access to adult content (e.g., sex, violence, death) without any special skills

• As a result, adult and child distinctions in speech, clothing, and behaviour are fading

• Postman calls for stricter censorship of television, gaming, and online media to protect children from inappropriate exposure

Postmodernist view of childhood

• Jenks (2005) disagrees with Postman as he argues childhood is not disappearing, but it is changing

• In today’s postmodern society, relationships are increasingly unstable (e.g., rising divorce rates, job insecurity)

• As a result, adults perceive children as vulnerable and in need of protection

• In this context, children become a source of security and identity for adults

• Therefore, childhood becomes even more protected and central to family life, not eroded

Evaluation of Postman's view

Strengths

• Research support:

  • Surveys from the BBC (2011) and Cambridge University (2007) indicate children are increasingly anxious about adult concerns, such as terrorism or crime

  Health concerns:

  • The UK ranks highly in international studies on obesity, self-harm, depression, and teenage pregnancy

    • This suggests childhood may be under strain

Criticisms

• Childhood still exists:

  • Opie (1993) found that children continue to enjoy a distinct culture (e.g., games, songs, and rhymes), suggesting childhood is far from disappearing

• Overemphasis on one factor:

  • Postman has been criticised for focusing solely on media

  • Other factors also affect childhood, such as:

    • Parental neglect and poor-quality interaction contribute to a "toxic childhood" (Palmer, 2007)

    • Liberal parenting and children’s rights make parents less authoritative and involved in their children’s upbringing (Phillips, 1997)

The march of progress view

• Some sociologists argue that the position of children in Western societies has significantly improved

• This "march of progress" view claims that childhood today is the best it’s ever been

• Sociologists like Aries and Shorter support this perspective, highlighting how society has become more child-centred:

  • Laws now protect children from harm and exploitation

  • Infant mortality rates have fallen, and family sizes are smaller

  • Children receive more attention, rights, and care than in the past

  • Parents invest emotionally and financially in fewer children

  • Children are nurtured, protected, and valued

  • They are the focal point of family life and take part in decision-making

  • Much media, toys, and leisure are tailored specifically for children

Evaluation

• Palmer (2007, 2010) criticises the march of progress view, arguing that children are suffering from a “toxic childhood”

• Rapid technological and cultural changes are harming children's development:

  • Rise of junk food culture

  • Long hours spent gaming

  • Aggressive marketing aimed at children

  • Parental absence due to long work hours

  • Overemphasis on testing in schools

• A UNICEF (2025) report (opens in a new tab) ranked the UK 21st out of 36 for children's wellbeing – showing that modern childhood isn’t positive for all

The conflict view

• The conflict perspective challenges the march of progress view, arguing that childhood is not a universally positive experience

• Instead, it is shaped by inequalities linked to class, gender, and ethnicity

  • Conflict sociologists (e.g., Marxists and feminists) argue that the idea of a happy, child-centred society is idealised and misleading

  • It ignores the structural inequalities many children face, both among themselves and in their relationships with adults

Inequalities among children

Gender

• Hillman (1993) argues that boys are granted more freedom, e.g. using public transport or going out after dark

• Bonke (1999) found girls perform more domestic labour, especially in lone-parent families, where they do five times more housework than boys

• McRobbie & Garber (1976) found that boys are encouraged to go out, while girls are socialised into staying indoors – a process referred to as 'bedroom culture'

Ethnicity

• Brannen (1994) found that Asian parents are generally stricter, especially towards daughters

• Bhatti (1999) argues that concepts like 'izzat' (family honour) can place additional restrictions on girls' behaviour in Asian families

Class and poverty

• Children from working-class or materially deprived families are more likely to:

  • have poorer diets and weaker immune systems

  • experience long-term illness or die in infancy

  • perform worse in education and have limited life chances compared to middle-class peers

Inequalities between adults and children

• Firestone (1979) argues that what march of progress writers view as “protection” is often actually a form of control

  • E.g., preventing children from working makes them economically dependent and more powerless

Neglect and abuse

• The NSPCC (opens in a new tab) (2024) states that one child a week is killed by a parent or carer

• Cooper (1971) argues that the family can emotionally 'terrorise' children by teaching blind obedience to authority

Age patriarchy

• Gittens (1998) uses the term 'age patriarchy' to describe adult domination over children

• Children's lives are controlled through:

  • space

    • Restricted movement (e.g., can’t walk to school alone, constant supervision in public)

  • time

    • Daily routines are set by adults (e.g. when to wake, eat, do homework, watch TV, and go to bed)

  • bodies

    • Adults decide how children dress and behave, and even small acts like whether they can suck their thumb or pierce their ears

  • resources

    • Children remain financially dependent on adults

    • Parents control pocket money and set rules on what it can be spent on

An action approach to childhood

• The action approach challenges both the march of progress view and structural theories of childhood by focusing on the individual experiences of children

  • This perspective, also known as the personal life approach, argues that childhood is not a single, uniform experience

  • Every child’s experience is unique and influenced by their own choices, relationships, and contexts

• Mayall (2004) criticises traditional views that treat children as simply "adults in the making"

  • She argues that sociologists should study childhood in its own right, not just as preparation for adulthood

Children as active agents

• Children are not just passive recipients of adult socialisation — they are active participants in shaping their own lives

• They often play a central role in family dynamics, with their needs and routines shaping adult behaviour

• Mason and Tipper (2008) found that children decide who they see as “family”, even if people aren't biologically related

  • E.g., they may include step-parents, friends, or even pets in their definition of family

Individual childhoods

• The personal life perspective emphasises that every child is different — their social class, culture, family structure and personality all shape how they experience childhood

• Womack (2011) criticises government policies that assume more money = a better childhood

• Research suggests that what matters to children — like feeling listened to or having meaningful relationships — isn’t always linked to material wealth

Evaluation

• The action approach is supported by interactionist theorists, who also argue that children can be influential within the family

  • For example, children often teach their parents about social norms, trends, and technology

• This perspective sees socialisation as a two-way process, where both adults and children learn from one another through daily interactions

• However, the desire for independence as children grow older can lead to conflicts with parents — especially around issues like freedom, friendships, and social media use