The Concept of Childhood in Western Countries

The history of childhood has been a heated topic in social history since the highly
influential book Centuries of Childhood’, written by French historian Philippe Aries,
emerged in 1960. He claimed that ‘childhood’ is a concept created by modern society.

Whether childhood is itself a recent invention has been one of the most intensely
debated issues in the history of childhood. Historian Philippe Aries asserted that
children were regarded as miniature adults, with all the intellect and personality that this
implies, in Western Europe during the Middle Ages (up to about the end of the 15th
century). After scrutinising medieval pictures and diaries, he concluded that there was
no distinction between children and adults for they shared similar leisure activities and
work; However, this does not mean children were neglected, forsaken or despised, he
argued. The idea of childhood corresponds to awareness about the peculiar nature of
childhood, which distinguishes the child from adult, even the young adult. Therefore, the
concept of childhood is not to be confused with affection for children.

Traditionally, children played a functional role in contributing to the family income in the
history. Under this circumstance, children were considered to be useful. Back in the
Middle Ages, children of 5 or 6 years old did necessary chores for their parents. During
the 16th century, children of 9 or 10 years old were often encouraged or even forced to
leave their family to work as servants for wealthier families or apprentices for a trade.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, industrialisation created a new demand for child labour;
thus many children were forced to work for a long time in mines, workshops and
factories. The issue of whether long hours of labouring would interfere with children’s
growing bodies began to perplex social reformers. Some of them started to realise the
potential of systematic studies to monitor how far these early deprivations might be
influencing children’s development.

The concerns of reformers gradually had some impact upon the working condition of
children. For example, in Britain, the Factory Act of 1833 signified the emergence of
legal protection of children from exploitation and was also associated with the rise of
schools for factory children. Due partly to factory reform, the worst forms of child
exploitation were eliminated gradually. The influence of trade unions and economic
changes also contributed to the evolution by leaving some forms of child labour
redundant during the 19th century. Initiating children into work as ‘useful’ children was
no longer a priority, and childhood was deemed to be a time for play and education for
all children instead of a privileged minority. Childhood was increasingly understood as a
more extended phase of dependency, development and learning with the delay of the
age for starting full-time work- Even so, work continued to play a significant, if less
essential, role in children’s lives in the later 19th and 20th centuries. Finally, the ‘useful
child’ has become a controversial concept during the first decade of the 21st century,
especially in the context of global concern about large numbers of children engaged in
child labour.

The half-time schools established upon the Factory Act of 1833 allowed children to work
and attend school. However, a significant proportion of children never attended school
in the 1840s, and even if they did, they dropped out by the age of 10 or 11. By the end
of the 19th century in Britain, the situation changed dramatically, and schools became
the core to the concept of a ‘normal’ childhood.

It is no longer a privilege for children to attend school and all children are expected to
spend a significant part of their day in a classroom. Once in school, children’s lives
could be separated from domestic life and the adult world of work. In this way, school
turns into an institution dedicated to shaping the minds, behaviour and morals of the
young. Besides, education dominated the management of children’s waking hours
through the hours spent in the classroom, homework (the growth of ‘after school’
activities), and the importance attached to parental involvement.

Industrialisation, urbanisation and mass schooling pose new challenges for those who
are responsible for protecting children’s welfare, as well as promoting their learning. An
increasing number of children are being treated as a group with unique needs, and are
organised into groups in the light of their age. For instance, teachers need to know
some information about what to expect of children in their classrooms, what kinds of
instruction are appropriate for different age groups, and what is the best way to assess
children’s progress. Also, they want tools enabling them to sort and select children
according to their abilities and potential.
Questions 1-7
Do the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage 1?

In boxes 1-7 on your answer sheet, write

FALSE if the statement contradicts the information

NOT GIVEN If there is no information on this

1. Aries pointed out that children did different types of work to adults during the
Middle Ages.
2. Working children during the Middle Ages were generally unloved.
3. Some scientists thought that overwork might damage the health of young
children.
4. The rise of trade unions majorly contributed to the protection of children from
exploitation in the 19th century.
5. Through the aid of half-time schools, most children went to school in the mid-19th
century.
6. In the 20th century, almost all children needed to go to school with a full-time
schedule.
7. Nowadays, children’s needs are much differentiated and categorised based on
how old they are.

Questions 8-13
Answer the questions below.

Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from the passage for each answer:

Write your answers in boxes 8-13 on your answer sheet.

What had not become a hot topic until the French historian Philippe Aries’ book caused
great attention?
8.

According to Aries, what was the typical image of children in Western Europe during the
Middle Ages?

9.

What historical event generated the need for a large number of children to work for a
long time in the 18th and 19th centuries?
 10.

What bill was enacted to protect children from exploitation in Britain in the 1800s?

11.

Which activities were becoming regarded as preferable for almost all children in the
19th century?

12.

In what place did children spend the majority of time during their day in school?

13.