CHILDHOOD HISTORY

CHILDHOOD HISTORY

Childhood; a name or an age span of the human race is known as the stages of innocence, infancy or adolescence, or an age group between birth and puberty.  Most countries consider 18 years span as Childhood age that includes the stages: Early Childhood - birth to 8 years, Middle Childhood - 8 to 12 years, and Adolescence - 12 to 18 years.

All key Childhood Characteristics, Childhood Elements of development, or in other words totality of personality builds in these ages. What happens during these years of a child would last for a lifetime.  Society, parents, family, culture & traditions, religion, institution, atmosphere, and most importantly in recent ages, technology is the key player in the process of childhood development. 

For centuries childhood was not considered a separate entity in society and children were seen as miniature versions of adults. Children were frequently socially harassed and kept uneducated. Over a period of time, the childhood development methodology has radically been changed. The 20^th-century parents are more engaged in children's development, new educational strategies being practice, and child protection law has been imposed. How childhood has changed throughout history; the evolution of childhood has various aspects that researchers & experts had explained from different perspectives.

The most significant study conducted related to the history of childhood was by Philippe Ariès’. His book “Centuries of Childhood” was initially published in French in 1960 and then translated into English in 1962 argued childhood history between the thirteenth century and modern times. According to Aries “During the Middle Ages children were depicted and seen as being small adults. There was a general understanding that ‘childhood’ meant a stage of life which was widely recognized in a number of ways.”

For Sigmund Freud (1856–1939), childhood was of key significance in the tuning of the individual to mature well-being.

Jean Piaget (1896–1980) presumes that the child, regardless of social or cultural context, has a certain universal nature that drives it to develop in noticeable stages. This understanding had thoughtful effects on the pedagogy in contemporary modern schools.

Anthropologist Margaret Mead (1901–1978) challenged Piaget's theory of stages of development. Her research sought to demonstrate that children brought up in different cultures did not display a replica of the animistic stage that Piaget thought to be universal. Mead studied important differences in child and adolescent experiences according to environmental factors.

Joe L. Kincheloe and Shirley R. Steinberg have constructed a critical theory of childhood and childhood education that they have labeled ‘kinder culture’

 

Childhood rights and theories were undermined throughout history, however; the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child identified “a child means every human being below the age of 18 years”  had not only provided the identity but Children’s Rights of expression for the first time. It had let many researchers explore childhood and know the historical facts.

Today due to the importance of childhood, we have very little pieces of evidence of this social disorder or tolerance of practices in the past due to recognizing children as a separate entity, by rising the concept of children development & schooling and considering them a future generation.  Consequences & patterns may vary geographically or as per religious or cultural beliefs.