Has the position of children improved? - Childhood.

Conflict view - Gittins (1998) and the age patriarchy.

'age patriarchy' describes inequalities between adults and children. The power of the male asserts itself in the form of violence against kids and women.

Conflict view - control over kids' space, inequalities between kids and adults.

'no schoolkids' signs, where to play, more surveillance, road safety and stranger danger leads to kids being driven to school instead of walking.

Criticisms of conflict view.

-Some adult control is justified as kids cant make rational decisions and cant look after themselves. -Kids arent as powerless as they claim e.g. kids have rights.

Conflict view - control over kids' time, inequalities between kids and adults.

Adults control routines, the speed at which they grow up or being too young or old for this or that.

Conflict view.

Disagree with MOP view as they don't take into account inequalities among children and inequalities between adults and kids.

Conflict view - inequalities among children.

Ethnicity - Brannen (1994) says Asian parents were more likely to be strict towards daughters. Gender - Hillman (1993) says noys are allowed out after dark and cycle on roads. Class - Poor mums have low birth weight babies (linked to delayed development), kids of unskilled workers are 3x more likely to suffer from hyperactivity disorders and kids born in poor families are more likely to die in infancy and fall behind in school.

Conflict view - Hockey and James (1993), age patriarchy.

Evidence that kids find childhood oppressive comes from the strategies they use to resist the status of child. They found that one strategy as 'acting up' (doing adult things like swearing, smoking, sex etc) and 'acting down' (behaving in ways expected of younger kids like baby talk. This suggests that childhood is a stage that kids want to escape.

Conflict view - neglect and abuse, inequalities between kids and adults.

Extreme control over kids happens through neglect and abuse. This indicates a 'dark side of the family'

Conflict view - Inequalities between kids and adults.

Firestone (1979) says the things MOP see as protection are just new forms of oppression e.g protection from paid work makes kids powerless.

March of progress view - Child centred family.

Higher standards of living and smaller family sizes mean that children can afford to provide for kids' needs properly. Kids are now the focal point of the family, parents invest in them emotionally and financially.

Conflict view - control over kids' access to resources, inequalities between kids and adults.

Limited opportunities to earn money so they remain dependent on adults, e.g. compulsory schooling and labour laws exclude them from work, child benefit goes to parent not the childs and pocket money depends on good behaviour.

Palmer and the Toxic childhood - Opposes March of progress view.

Technological and cultural changes have damaged kids' development e.g junk food, testing in education. There is also concern over children's health, UK have above average rates for obesity, self harm and drug/alcohol abuse.

March of progress view.

The position of children is improving e.g Aries and Shorter. Children are more valued and protected e.g Child protection laws, better healthcare. The lower infant mortality rate supports this.

New sociology of childhood - childs point of view.

This approach aimts to include experiences of kids themselves for example.. 1) Mason and Tipper (2008) - Kids create their own definitions of family and choose who is close to them. 2) Smart et al (2001) - Children are involved in trying to make the process of divorce better for everyone.

New sociology of childhood.

This approach sees children as active agents in shaping their own childhood instead of how the conflict and MOP view see them - as 'adults in the making'. They criticise MOP and conflict view as having an 'adultist' point of view.

Conflict view - control over kids bodies, inequalities between adults and kids.

What they wear, hairstyles, piercings, how parents touch them like cuddling or smacking but at the same time kids are told not to touch themselves like picking their nose or masturbating.