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Childhood in the 1600's
-A shift in philosophical/social attitudes toward children and the notion of the concept of "childhood" began in Europe.
-Locke's philosophy "tabula rasa" said that the mind is at birth a "blank slate".This meant that it was the parent/guardian's job to "write in" the child's slate, through experiences.
-Children barely had chances for education, spending most of their time working with their parents.
-But, during this period children's education became more common and institutionalized. -
Childhood in the 1700's
-Most of the girls were required to stay inside their houses with their mother to learn how to be the best housewife
-Boys get an education
-Rough play/playing sports wasn’t proper for girls
-Something common for the poorer children was childlabor (Factories, hard/long hours)
-Jean Jacques Rousseau was a leading proponent of the "natural" education of children
-Rousseau felt children should learn through experience, rather than from the sterile book learning
-Child should be protected -
Childhood in the 1800's
-Children between 7-12 years of age comprised one-third of the factory workforce at that time
-Education was for the wealthy, this began to change as early as the 1830s
-As the scientific field of psychology grew in the second half of the 19th century, the concept of childhood as a developmental phase of life entered the consciousness of mainstream America. This paved the way for child labor laws to grow in popularity at the turn of the century.
-Religious teachings in school was preferred -
Children in the late 1900's
-The 1960s witnessed an explosion of interest in child abuse. Prior to the 1960s, medical schools provided little or no training on child abuse, and medical texts were largely silent on the issue.
-In addition to sharpening the focus on child protection, the 1962 amendments required states to pledge that by July 1, 1975, they would make child welfare services available statewide.
-More laws created for child protection against sexual abuse
-Social workers have a more important role in society -
Childhood in the 1900's
-Many epidemics had their time in this era. that affected children all over the world (polio, scarlet fever, chickenpox, etc)
-Many fathers of children were in the war, mothers would stay with children and households had many children in them (from 7-10 was normal)
-"The Century of the Child" book (1900), Ellen Key imagined the twentieth century as a time when adults would embrace “the right of the child” as the central concern of modern society -
Childhood from 2000-now
-Children are encouraged to take action in many extra-curricular activities such as sports, arts, music, etc.
-There are many international human rights treaties and domestic laws which protect children’s rights
-Children and parents have many outlets to learn and be aware of safety
-Child's therapy, counseling, foster care, social work help, guidance workers are all a part of a child's life if needed
-Girls are boys are treated more equally growing up
