1S) CHOE-2nd (20-11-2016) Bharghava Shyam (Concept of childhood modern? )

 Name: - A.N. Bharghava shyam

Admission Number: - MAE15007

Question: -

 

Is the concept of childhood modern? What changes have taken place in society to make modern childhood different? Is the experience of childhood different in different societies?

Answer: -

 

The concept of Childhood Modern & Changes in Making the Childhood Different

Based on Hindu Mythology: (In My Opinion)

The concept of Childhood is very common in India by Ancient Hindu Mythology. From my childhood I heard the stories of Abhimanyu (The Warrior in Mahabharata War), Lord Krishna (Leapfrog Child with wisdom & Chivalry). Dhruva, Prahallada, Abhimanyu, Markandeya etc. (Spiritually enlightened Children). In Sri Ramayana there is special chapter called “Bala Kanda”, it describes childhood of Lord Rama. In Ancient Hindu Mythology the child is treated as a child only, they didn’t use any other terminology for children.

Those children have chivalry & Valor, we use to discuss about them a lot about their reverence, courage, aggressiveness, etc. as a stories. Some of the parents is to say this type of stories to children to influence and inspire child behaviour in a good manner. By these all above examples I can say that the concept of childhood is existing from Ancient India. But we don’t know about myths is really happened or not, because it doesn’t have strong evidence, but so many believe in this mythology.  These are in a kind of influencing & inspiring stories.

According to this the concept of childhood in India is not a Modern invention.

 

But in present times the concept of childhood is different from ancient times.

 

(According to Philippe Aries- The Childhood as a Modern Invention)

The concept of modern childhood was started in 17^th century only. Through industrialization Modern childhood came into existence. Before 17^th Century the child was treated as miniature adults, there is no idea of childhood, it just a transmission period between infancy and adulthood. Children is to work & help their parents.

But in modern (Industrial) society the childhood is defined as “who gets care in a separate isolation called Family”.

There are 3 Different societies from Ancient time to Present time, each society gradually changed into another society according to time & place. Hunter Gather Society is gradually changed into Agricultural Society & Agricultural society is also gradually changed into Industrial society.

 

In Hunting Gather society, the adults believe in hunting through that they are getting good. So it became their livelihood. Children are treated as Liable, that why they gave birth to limited children, because of their migration they don’t have proper homes, prolonging lactation, poor nutrition, Infant mortality Rate & Death rate both are low.  Here children is to help their parents in their work.

 

In chronological order the “Hunting Gather Society” gradually changed to “Agricultural Society”.  Agricultural society has classified into three parts

In Agricultural society the adults started believing in agriculture because in hunting they have to migrate where they get food, but in agricultural society they can produce food at same place, they have proper address etc. Here children became assets to parents, because in olden days agriculture was mainly depend on manual work, they started giving birth to more children. Mortality rate became high, lactation reduced from 4 to 2 & less than 2 years.  At this time growth rate of children became high, here also they is to help their parents.

It also changed gradually agricultural society part one to part two, In Agricultural society (Part-2) Mortality rate increased, and death rate decreased because of hygiene & other  things.

These two Hunting Gather & Agricultural Society having some culture limited to particular areas. It is indigenous & traditional to their communities, according to place & situation it may differs.  (According to place the crops differ for cultivating).

 

Agricultural society also gradually moved towards Industrial society, in industrial society, all moved towards technology, sanitation, public health works etc. In this Industrial society people started believing technology, manual work decreased & in this stage also children became liable towards parents. In this society Infant Mortality Rate increased & Death rate decreased because of that population increased, Parents are working in offices, they also started to send them to schools. Earlier the children are going to work & now they started going to schools. And that schooling started children to become modernized. 

 

Here there are some features that made children modernized among that features some are Schools, Consumerism & Family.  These all features are inter connected with each other.  This Industrial society is globalized.

In schooling the children learns about norms, culture, knowledge, etc. by all this children are trained. This makes children solidarity in the society.

In schools division of labour will comes, everyone gets job according to their skills. Etc. will made by the school to make child modernized.

Why schools came means to make industrial society.  Frist they (Capitalists) supplied then, by this demand came in the name of consumerism. Industrialization society created technological advancement used by capitalists (Market Force), which produced products (Supply) and that products created demand (Consumer), and again demand is creating supply.

The capitalist saw the children as a consumer & started schools, these all things lead to globalization. Then united nation organization (UNO) created rights & laws for children to send them to schools. Because of compulsory and universalize education profits will go to the government & connection between nations, that why they made this as universalize & compulsory.

Family & peer group is also became feature in making children as modernized, this was started by imitating the higher power, If in a class all have smart phones, one child did not have that, then the peer will influence him to buy a new smart phone. These are some features which made children industrialized.

 

These all are the changes taken place in society to make modern childhood different.

 

Is the experience of childhood different in different societies?

According to Time: -

The experience of childhood is different in different societies. In Hunter gather society children is to work along with parents, in agriculture society also the same they is help their parents in their work, but when it came  to industrial society the children is go to schools instead of working,

In the both Hunting Gathering society & Agricultural society the children is to work, but in industrial society they started experiencing and repeating the knowledge, etc. 

According to Place: -

In Rural areas the most of the children aim is work as a teacher or military officer or farmer, etc. (Uttarakand rural areas)

In Urban areas the children main aim is work as collector or engineer, or doctor or charted accountant, etc.  (In Telangana Urban areas)

According the place also child experiences are changing.

 

References: -

Histories of Childhood- (Jhon Clarke)

Childhood as a Modern invention- Philippe Aries

Evaluation of Childhood amidst changing family occupation PPT

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