Introduction
The first part of the essay aims to reflect the concept of childhood in sociology perspective. Childhood is a changing social phenomenon constructed and historically changing. While children are understood, as social actors involved in social life, their participation is seen different from adults their social achievements is not always invisible. The paper will briefly reflect the emergence of sociology childhood that lead to changes in laws and policies over time in order society to regard children as an active participant within societies.
The second part will cover a critical examination of childhood reflecting contemporary issue of child abuse, briefly looking the …show more content…
James and Prout book titled Constructing and Reconstructing Childhood. Contemporary Issues in the Sociological Study of Childhood; discusses the theoretical and sociological debates serving contemporary analytical framework for the study of childhood in sociology, they consider six key new developing of a sociological paradigm of childhood (1997: p8):
i. Childhood is understood as a social construction. The natural character is recognised (Biological) child but integrated into a social and cultural context. It is checked that in every society appears as a component of a structure and specific and different from other societies cultural dimension. ii. Childhood is a variable of social analysis. It cannot be understood separately from other variables such as gender, class or ethnicity. When these variables are analysed interrelated is found that there are many childhoods, therefore, it is not one universal phenomenon. iii. The social relations of girls and boys are valuable to study by themselves, independent from the perspective of …show more content…
In effect adults can exercise power over children and require other adults to justify their actions because they understand that it is for in order adults to emerge higher status (Wartofsky, 1991: p199). Children action has meaning and develops differently from adult action, although the latter is the only one that is legitimate and therefore the practice is not recognised children, arguing age as the sole standard for defining competencies and capacity action. Subsequently, age becomes a similar status to sex or race, a condition subject that generates social relations of power, but they are interpreted characteristic said condition (Qvortrup,