Childhood and Gender: Understanding the Social Construct

CHILDHOOD AND
GENDER

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Childhood and gender are basically the two interlinked aspects of the life stage of
individuals that have an equal impact on each other. Childhood where on one hand is the life
span from birth to adolescence while gender is the underlying characteristics which differentiate
masculinity as well as femininity. The main aim of this report is to understand the social
construct of both childhood and gender and to study their patterns in modern era.
This report gives a brief overview of key concept of childhood, social construct within
childhood, key concept of gender and social construct of gender.
MAIN BODY
Childhood
Childhood is basically the period of age which ranges from birth to the adolescence. In
short, it is predominately the age time for children where they go to school as well as at play for
becoming stronger together with family. It is the age in which children children learn about
social world and its aspects like crime, hates, love, attachment from society etc. According to
Jane Pilker, childhood is basically seen as the clear as well as distinct phase wherein children
occupies the different status in comparison to adults (Elkins and et.al.,2018). This is generally
concerned with numerous ways like laws which regulates what the children are not allowed and
allowed, required and prohibited to do. There are various laws within western societies about the
childhood like child laws, protection laws, mandatory education laws etc.
Social construction of the childhood as well as age
Age is generally the significant aspect which plays an essential role in teaching children
about the social world. It usually determines various aspects that at what age children can marry,
start job, join leisure activities etc. It has a vital and important bearing upon status as well as
identity and tells the different forms of life. In most of the cultures like western culture, Hausa,
Chisunga etc, it is usually puberty which marks beginning of the adulthood but the childhood is
generally marked by the particular characteristics as well as the thinking. It has been argued that
western views of the age are something that came with development of the industrial society.
Earlier, The family were generally considered as single unit of production that time the age of an
individual was not much crucial (Prout, 2016). For example- children tend to lead unprivileged
existence because they were required to join as well as help in various productive activity. It is
usually argued that children are psychologically as well as physically immature in comparison to