Philippe Aries suggested that ‘childhood’ as we know it, has only recently appeared through social construction. I believe that children didn’t truly “exist” in the past. Up to recent years, children had to go to work at a young age and were expected to take on the role of a “mini-adult” by either working or taking care of a household, this was especially the case in the peasant and middle classes. Aries statement is valid in the sense of children having to become “young adults” as he’s stated in his book ‘Centuries of Childhood.’
From Medieval Society up till the Industrial Revolution, children have been forced to work and complete tasks along-side adults, thus them being treated as “mini-adults.” They weren’t valued as a child, just another able body to complete tasks. We read that “1.75 million [children were involved in the industrial revolution in the 19th Century] 18 percent of these children were employed [and] 25 percent of the employees were below the age of fifteen, with half of these children below age twelve.” ("Child Labor - Facts & Summary - …show more content…
Children are balancing out fun and work, play time and responsibilities and don’t understand different because work is all they’ve been taught. But, in the vast majority of the world, children are seen and understood to be naïve and inexperienced which is why they are treated differently. I believe children shouldn't be treated the same as adults. Their minds are constantly developing and the lack of 'worldly exposure' gives then a completely different view on situations compared to an adult. Children make many mistakes in life, as do adults, but while they are children those mistakes are how they learn how to behave, interact and learn right from wrong, whereas adults have matured and know what is the appropriate thing to
From Medieval Society up till the Industrial Revolution, children have been forced to work and complete tasks along-side adults, thus them being treated as “mini-adults.” They weren’t valued as a child, just another able body to complete tasks. We read that “1.75 million [children were involved in the industrial revolution in the 19th Century] 18 percent of these children were employed [and] 25 percent of the employees were below the age of fifteen, with half of these children below age twelve.” ("Child Labor - Facts & Summary - …show more content…
Children are balancing out fun and work, play time and responsibilities and don’t understand different because work is all they’ve been taught. But, in the vast majority of the world, children are seen and understood to be naïve and inexperienced which is why they are treated differently. I believe children shouldn't be treated the same as adults. Their minds are constantly developing and the lack of 'worldly exposure' gives then a completely different view on situations compared to an adult. Children make many mistakes in life, as do adults, but while they are children those mistakes are how they learn how to behave, interact and learn right from wrong, whereas adults have matured and know what is the appropriate thing to