Since the Victorian ages many things have changed as well as progressed. Throughout many centuries the attitude and beliefs of what children are expected to do and what children’s experience of childhood is are possibly two different things and these three images are able to tell a story of three different eras.
Image 1 is set in Victorian mills picturing two piercers. From the picture the assumption can be made that the two boys are of the ages 8 to 9. The young boy in the back of the image looks to be the older of the two. Due to this, he looks to be supervising the younger boy; this may be because he’s worked there longer, because he’s been ordered to do so or because he’s looking out for him. Both the boys are dressed like men, this could be because they feel and look more grown up and think that they fit in better. The working conditions as seen from this image looks neither safe nor good for them as the younger boy has a tear in his trousers. In textile mills children were ordered to make sure that the machines were clean whilst they were still running, due to this there were many accidents. Many children lost their fingers and some were killed, crushed by the running machines. They do not have any safety equipment or any guards on the machines and as can be seen the youngest of the boys is not wearing any shoes, there could be many a reasons for this such as not being able to afford any or another reason could be that he finds it easier to work with no shoes or even he is not allowed.
Referring back to the original question of ‘what do they tell us about children’s experience of childhood and adult’s expectations for children’ this image does not show much of a happy and fulfilled childhood. Both children look like they have their own independence and are expected to act like adults, many of the children who would misbehave or do something wrong would be punished in some quite severe ways. In many cases the children were cruelly beaten and the parents did nothing, they cared more about the money than the welfare of their children; according to the Factories Inquiry Commission (1833) ‘the other night a little girl came home cruelly beaten; wished to go before a magistrate, but was advised not to.’ Many children would have to either willingly or unwillingly go to work in such environments as the family would need to the money in order to pay bills and to afford food and possibly some other luxuries. In one report (Factories Inquiry Commission, 1833) it states that children as young as toddlers were expected to work; ‘she was a child too little to put on her ain claithes....’ Barrow (2010) wrote that in 1833, the Factory Act was made into a law and it meant that it was illegal for children under the age of 9 to be employed in textile factories. According to Cunningham(2005) when in the late eighteenth century industrialisation began to shift the location of the textile industries from home to factory, it was natural to look to children as a key component of the workforce.
Image two is of a 1950’s Health Education poster of ‘The Red Cross’. In this poster the children are wearing what was seen as formal clothing in those times. The clothing is also practical, for example, the clothes on both the girl and boy stop before the knee as children would often worn clothes out. Girls stopped wearing dresses and skirts when pedal pushers came out as long dresses or long skirts would make it difficult to play in especially if to ride a bike as the fabric would get caught on the pedals. Pedal pushers were trousers that ended just below the knee. They also have bear arms and legs this could be due to the much needed sun on the skin as from the sun the skin gets vitamin D, if Vitamin D isn’t attained then they are at risk of getting rickets. Even as little as just 20 minutes in the sun can prevent such an illness (NHS Local, 2012). It is obvious that the people in this image are of children, from their youngish faces to
Related Documents: Essay about Children and Childhood
Flexible, Fearful, Feisty Children Flexible Children are described as kids who are generally easy-going, and are great at adapting to new situations. They are kids who are used to a routine, and are easy potty train as well. In another perspective, they are the Gemini of children; quick to adapt and generally cheerful with low intensity. Having this type of child onto a flight should not be too difficult at all. However, since they are generally used to a routine, it might seem bizarre to the child…
Introduction By evaluating underlying aboriginal community components that contribute to risk factors for early childhood caries (ECC) several solutions for improved child oral health can be achieved. Advocacy for community water fluoridation and fluoride varnish program access is crucial for the prevention of ECC. Also, increased resources and opportunity for community based oral health initiatives will help prevent aboriginal oral health disparities. Lack of oral health education in Aboriginal…
changes in the status of childhood Arguments for Arguments against General explanation Introduction – Childhood is seen as a social construct meaning that it is defined by society and it is not a natural or biological state. Childhood is shaped and given meaning by our culture and so behaviour seen as appropriate for children, the way children should be treated and also the time at which childhood should end are all socially constructed. The social construction of childhood is found in cultural places…
Parents Food Preference in Childhood Obesity Samantha Chan ENG 122: English Composition II Instructor Holly Wilcox October 10, 2011 Parents Food Preference in Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity is one of the growing health concerns in young children because it can lead to many chronic diseases if being ignored. Obese children are at risk of developing chronic diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, breathing problems, joint problems, liver and digestive problems (Centers for Disease…
Childhood Cancer By: Amanda Bone July 11, 2010 HCA/240 Bruce Gould The body is made up of hundreds of millions of living cells. Normal body cells grow, divide, and die in an orderly fashion. During the early years of a person’s life, normal cells divide faster to allow the person to grow. After the person becomes an adult, most cells divide only to replace worn-out or dying cells or to repair injuries. Cancer begins when cells in a part of the body start to grow out of control. There…
Childhood Obesity Kavin Singh 10/08/2014 Childhood Obesity Childhood obesity only blamed on the children alone or are the parents also blamed of this outcome? Childhood obesity can’t be blamed on children because the parents are to blame, the children need a proper diet, and they need to have a good timing of everything. Not only this but a lot of factors play a big role which leads to this problem. Childhood obesity is not a local problem, it is worldwide as well. We cannot overlook this problem…
The Status Quo of Childhood Obesity Junrui Chen University of Southern California USC Language Academy IPPAM Reading and Writing Dr. Heather Robertson December 4, 2013 The status quo of childhood obesity Today, childhood obesity has become one of the most important health threats all over the world, especially in the United States. According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), the number of children obesity increases rapidly in the past 30 years (CDC…
Childhood The status of childhood has always been changing as time has been passing even up to this day Introduction Using material from item A and elsewhere assess sociological explanations of changes in status of childhood. The status of childhood has always been changing with time and to this day and age there are many views over the position of children; being confined, disciplined or controlled by the adult authority and socialisation. Others say that they are growing up to fast and the distinction…
Centre for Open Education MACQUARIE UNIVERSITY NSW 2109 AUSTRALIA ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET (For Open Universities Australia students) Office Use Only ** Unit Code SGY290 Unit Name “Generations: Childhood, Adulthood, Old Age’’ COE USE ONLY Date Received Assignment No. 3 Assignment Title Research Essay Due Date 10/12/2012 Contact Info Phone: 0447 141 912 Email:lesleyrielly@hotmail.com Word Count (If Applicable) 1,500 Turnitin No. (If Applicable) ACADEMIC HONESTY DECLARATION (this is very…
years old and weighs 385 pounds and is constantly fighting high blood pressure, asthma, sleep apnea and low self-esteem. (Childhood obesity: A generation at risk) There are many other stories, just like Danielle’s, of kids dealing with childhood obesity and having increased risks of disorders those adults 30 years ago wouldn’t imagine having. So who is to blame for childhood obesity? In a news article by BBC News, “Child Obesity: Why do parents let their kids get fat,” the parents are to blame because…