How does historial perspective enhance our understanding of childhood in the present - Essay Example

Regardless of the definitions, both from past and present, children must be under care of an adult with the law giving them minimal rights as well as restrictions. The legal aspect of childhood has extended the range of childhood as viewed in the society. That is if today’s childhood is defined as the young age that is managed by a responsible adult, the age might spill over to early twenties given that majority of the youth are still in college at this age. Childhood has been marked as completely different from adulthood, both in character, decision making and activity.

This recognition first appeared in literature in 16th century and has since then been adopted and improved. The argument formulated then, that still holds today is that childhood is an immature stage of life, characterized by underdevelopment t both mentally and physically. And it’s on this basis that every action undertaken by a child should be manned closely by not only and adult but a responsible adult. The modern child has really changed as adults are taking childhood in a different perspective.

Whilst in the early stages a normal child enjoys living with her parents, school has been made another home for a child, where many children are let to grow together, under the guidance of an instructor. Requirements are that unlike in the past where a child was to be transformed to a cultural adult, learning to do exactly what her parents have doing, the modern child is given the opportunity to develop his or her own skills based on talent and preference and capability. As evident in today’s generation, a doctor’s child can join a completely different profession such as engineering this being just an example.

As noted earlier, childhood marks the development stages of a person and thus needs be handled intelligently to ensure success of that child in future. The modern setting of child completely differs from the past. The responsibility of rearing a child mentally has been laid to a tutor who handles children of different personalities, unlike in the past where the parent dealt with almost homogeneous sons and daughters, living close to their relatives. This calls for the tutor to understand the present setting.

Historical perspective is of great help but it requires the tutor, who is responsible for the child’s action, be able to analyze the importance historical lineage to present situation. A basic historical concept that deems necessary to the modern situation is the stage theory. Stage theory is based on the arguments of Jean Piaget that each child portrays some un9iversal characteristics in development regardless of the social backup. In generalizing the minds capability and intentions of all children, the tutor can easily administer general guidelines to the children.

Jean formulated three basic ideas in t in the theory of cognitive development. To jean, childhood is made up of two stages; preoperational and concrete operational, with the former laying foundation to the latter and the latter forming the basis of adulthood. In the concrete stage, Jean portrayed the child as an active learner trying to experiment everything they think or hear of. The stages being interrelated shows a rigid nature of a child that could be characterized by resistance to change.

However the modern child is very reactive to environment and gets easily influenced making him very flexible. Thus whereas