University Assignment: Analyzing Social Constructions of Childhood

This essay examines the social construction of childhood through an analysis of various representations. It begins by defining representation and its role in shaping perceptions, using the example of Pampers advertisements to illustrate how marketing targets specific audiences and reflects societal values. The essay then delves into the political, global, cultural, historical, and economic contexts influencing early childhood, contrasting the idealized image of childhood in the Pampers ads with the harsh realities depicted in a documentary about child sex trafficking. It explores how such representations highlight inequalities, vulnerabilities, and the impact of adverse experiences on children's development and well-being. The essay concludes by summarizing the contrasting portrayals of childhood, emphasizing the different experiences of privileged children versus those victimized by exploitation and trafficking, highlighting the importance of understanding these diverse realities.

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Name of the student
University Name
Author’s note

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Introduction
The main aim of these assignments on representation is to analyze the different social
constructions of childhood. The term representation can be defined as the ideas or the objects
that are used to bring out the meaning of the other objects, based on the ideas associated to what
people see or imagine are mostly considered as representation (Penn 2018). The main aim of this
paper is to analyze the different social construct of the childhood. It will also provide a vivid
description of the different aspects of the political, global , cultural, historical and the economic
context of the early childhood.
It is known that every individual is engaged in some sorts of representation. For example,
while designing the packaging of the pampers, generally it is the picture of the baby and mother
is given. In very few instances can we find the involvement of a father and a child. Hence, such
representations interpret the unconditional and unmeasurable bonding between the child and the
mother just similar to the bonding between babies and pampers. The representation should
always be on the target group individual (Solstad, 2019). The bright coloration of the packaging
indicates towards the fact that the product is meant for the parents of higher income level, as the
picture of the mother given in the package does not seem to come off low socio-economic
background. Reflecting on the global, cultural, political and historical context of the early
childhood studies. The creator of the pampers have chosen distinctive colors that affects the
mood of consumers. Again, the pictorial representation has been made such that it attracts the
customers with higher levels of income.
Children has been represented in a different way in the documentary named children of
the sex trade”. The pictorial representation of the documentary advertisements can give an idea

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of the constant torture and the agony that the children have faced (Real Stories, 2016).
Considering the impacts of such disturbing elements in children’s life, they affect the general
cognition and the emotions of a child on a regular basis (Sorin, 2005). Memories of the
childhood always have a long-lasting effect on a child and menace like sex trafficking might
have some adverse effects on his/her future (Wyness, 2011). This representation has rightfully
pointed out how bad social constructs, poverty and weak politics facilitate things like child
sexual abuse and child trafficking. It is known from the chosen representation that the victims
who are often trafficked deviates from the normal notion of the childhood (Penn, 2018). These
might give rise to psychological issues and trauma in the victimized child. The most surprising
facets related to the victimized child is that, the victimized child still gets the courage to talk and
open up in front of the interviewer. Otherwise, we would not be able to know facts about these
menaces. Both the representation has focused on the impact of the discrimination and
inequalities on young children. This paper had critically evaluated the representations
Conclusion
The two representations used to describe the social construction of the childhood is one
with pictorial representation of the early childhood in pampers and how this representation along
with the packaging are meant to attract a specific target audience for increasing the profit. The
representation of child in the documentary named “children of the Sex trade” on the other hand is
more strong and robust. They had been portrayed as a vulnerable group and how they become
victims of myriad malpractices like child trafficking. The advertisements of the pampers
discusses about the colors and the packaging suitable to children. The documentary on the other
hand gives idea about how children become the victims of such sexual exploitation. It has
explained how children often have to face problems related to child practitioners or even their

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own parents, who dies not think twice to sell their children. These two representations can
provide a very clear picture of the differences and the inequalities observed in children. One who
are privileged enough the use pampers and ensure hygiene and the other group who are the
victims of a malpractice like sex trade.

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References
Penn, R 2018, ‘Perspectives of Childhood’, in M Richard, Childhood Studies: A Reader in
Perspectives of Children, Routledge, London metropolitans University, LMU, pp. 7-38.
Real Stories 2016. Children Of The Sex Trade (Full Documentary) – Real Stories. YouTube.
[online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxQm6xyDGdo&feature=youtu.be
[Accessed 11 April 2019].
Solstad, C. 2019. Two HIGH Value Pampers Coupons - My Crazy Savings. [Online] My Crazy
Savings. Available at: http://mycrazysavings.com/2016/05/two-high-value-pampers-coupons/
[Accessed 16 Mar. 2019].
Sorin, R. 2005. Changing Images of Childhood – Reconceptualising Early Childhood Practice.
International Journal of Transitions in Childhood, 1, pp. 12-21.
Wyness, M. 2015. The Social Meaning of Childhood. In Childhood and Society: An Introduction
to the Sociology of Childhood. London: Palgrave MacMillan.