The Effects of Western Perspective of Children - Essay Example

The Effects of Western Perspective of Children “Childhood” is a term, which in Western society, is most often used to describe the phase between infancy and adulthood. Although it is nearly impossible to dispute that “childhood” is an essential part of a human’s life cycle, it is a state that is largely conditioned by social and cultural factors. In Western society, the term “child” also evokes notions of a human being who is innately different from adults. This belief, however, appears to be conditioned by social and cultural construct rather than existing as a universal truth. Resultantly, subconscious attitudes towards “childhood” can greatly impact the way in which child researchers perform their studies. It should be noted that the notion that “childhood” is separate from “adulthood” is distinctively modern and mostly a product of Western society. Most childhood studies reveal that the role children play in society has shifted significantly in modern times. The historian, Philippe Aries, argues that children were viewed as “miniature adults” during the medieval ages and allowed to perform many of the same activities as adults. While some theorists have argued the validity of Aries’s concept, it is a certainty that the labor reforms made in response to poor child worker conditions during the Industrial Age helped to establish differences between adults and children. In addition, due to recent studies, particularly The Six Culture Project, which examined the role children played in societies outside of Western culture, researchers have discovered that the notion of children as “not ready” for adulthood is also a localized construct. In African cultures, children played with toys like Western children, but in a type of rehearsal for the various activities performed by adults including marriage, child caring, animal hunting, and hut building. Thus, the term “childhood” is greatly conditioned by social and cultural factors. Perhaps the four most common theories which have arisen about childhood and most deeply embedded themselves in Western thought are: Plato’s rationalistic approach, the Christian notion of “original sin,” John Locke’s belief in tableau rasa, and Rousseau’s idea of the “noble savage”. While these theories were not designed specifically for the focus of childhood research, they have managed to secure themselves in the subconscious philosophical, religious and societal beliefs of many Westerners. Although these ideas have many unique points, they all share several important aspects including: the belief that all children are born with the same moral conditions, the assumption that children are “less developed” than adults, and the notion that children are conditioned to grow into adults through their interactions with society. Additionally, each theory aids in creating a power struggle between adults, who are seen as powerful, and children, who are treated as subservient to adults. Some child theorists believe that the creation of this power struggle creates a significant barrier in understanding “childhood.” Plato is responsible for the development of rationalism, a belief which stresses that idea that humans are born with an innate sense of knowledge. Throughout Plato’s Dialogues, which have become a corner stone for Western philosophy, Plato attempts to reveal and clarify exactly what elements of knowledge and stresses that all humans are born with the same senses of love, beauty, and truth. This theory creates a power struggle which greatly stresses the notion that children are “less developed” than adults because they have had less opportunity to realize the “true” sources of knowledge in the world. Thus, childhood researchers who believe these ideas often find themselves assuming that they possess more knowledge about the inner workings of the world than children. Christianity proposes the idea that children are born with “original sin”, or in an innate state of evil due to the “original” sin of Adam and Eve. As such, it becomes the responsibility of adults to discipline and guide their children towards a correct and proper path towards leading a moral life. Thus, within this perspective, adults become infallible and children become powerless. Additionally, the notion of “original sin”, which exists in many Christian religions, assumes that adults are powerful enough to have the ability to know the best path for their children and serve as masters in deciding the proper paths of life. As a result, adults who believe in “original sin” often become infallible in the power scale they create with their children, echoing the existence that Christian man has with God. A century later, John Locke crafted the phrase, “tabula rasa” or blank slate, to represent the empty state in which children are born. While Plato had believed that children were born with an innate sense of good and evil, Locke thought that children were born in an empty condition that was shaped by society and experiences. Although research studies have since proven that Locke’s theory is slightly inaccurate because many factors and influences can directly effect fetuses, Locke’s theory helped to formulate the idea that children were less powerful than adults, which continues to perpetuate throughout most of Western society Thus, childhood researchers who emphasize Locke’s theory often treat children in a condescending manner and assume that children are not as wise or powerful as adults. In the eighteenth century, Jacques Rousseau developed the theory that children are “noble savages”, or innately good, and possess from birth a notion of what is morally right and wrong. Overtime, this theory has come to represent the basis upon which childhood researchers perform their studies. It is possible, however, that Rousseau was correct in assuming that adults have the potential to incorrectly and influence their children, but went too far in emphasizing that the power struggle between children and adults was one of essential good and essential evil. It is more likely that the correct power perspective exists in a theory that views adult and children on a balanced scale and not a frame which is tilted entirely in one direction or the other. Thus, Rousseau’s theory of “childhood” is damaging in the sense that adults and society sometime do have positive impacts upon a child during their “Age of Nature” phase. While the correct perspective to view children is debatable, all children appear to become accustomed to the functions of the surrounding world due to similar circumstances. Thus, “childhood” is largely conditioned by societal and cultural factors. The developmental niche framework proposed in Psychological Development and Early Child establishes a perspective in which to view the factors that effect a child. This niche framework is divided into psychical and social settings, culturally regulated customs, and the opinions of parents or other supervisory adults. The four previously mentioned theories all take into consideration these various aspects and often dealt with the negative impacts that these developmental groups could have on children.. In turn, these perspectives often combine the various developmental niche group to place children in positions that are greatly impacted by societal and cultural customs. All four “childhood” perspectives view society as possessing the power to corrupt a child. Rousseau’s notion of the “noble savage” takes the element of a child’s social settings into account more than the other theories. Rousseau believed that children were innately innocent and corrupted by the values and structures of society. For example, children growing up in democracies, could grow accustomed to the inherent class struggle within capitalist societies. Similarly, Christians believes that children who do not stray from the state of “original sin” further aid in creating corrupt societies. Likewise, Plato and Locke believed that children had the potential to be swayed by society in negatively impacting ways. All theories also allow the notion that some children are positively influenced by societal forces and structures. Plato and Locke agree that societal customs may impact a child negatively, but that the child is born with the ability to understand correct and proper customs. In a similar manner, Christianity stresses that children learn the correct social customs, while warning that improper social customs may leave a child to live in a state of “original sin.” For example, if a child is surrounded by adults who engage in sinful activities, the children will become acquainted with this habit and further repeat it. Rousseau also stressed the damaging effect that societal customs could have on the upbringing of a child. Finally, these four theories inadvertently established a negative framework for children based upon the effect that adults could have. This negative influence can be seen most significantly in the power balance created by the Christian perspective of “original sin.” Plato and Locke place the child in a position of total influence to his or her parents or other authoritative force. Rousseau’s perspective views children as ethically more powerful than adults, but still relatively weak and powerless to the situations in which they born. For example, although a child may be born with an innate understanding of beauty, he or she possess neither the ability or position to instill this notion into society and thus are relatively weak in relationship to adults. All four theories agree that a child must become accustomed to these matters of society, whether they good or bad structures. Furthermore, Plato’s, Locke’s, Rousseau’s and Christianity’s perspectives of “childhood” are not universal approaches to “childhood,” but are widespread enough to constitute a majority of Western thought. While these ideas warn about the negative impact that cultural, societal, and authoritative influences can have on children, they also aid in establishing barriers which will continue to place our perspective of children in an unfair light. Thus, a child researcher would profit from realizing that each theory contributes positive and negative attributes to the concept of “childhood.” The reader should keep in mind, however, that these perspectives are both localized to Western thought and restricted to Western thought, so these perspectives have not been considered on a worldwide or eternal scale. Thus, these positions will almost certainly develop and change as other perspectives are introduced into our culture and society. In addition, these four approaches towards “childhood” should be considered with the knowledge that they are for the most part speculative and based upon psychological propositions rather than scientific facts which are supported by evidence. Resultantly, strict adherence to only one of these theories markedly impairs ones’ perspective of children. Regardless of which theory is held to be correct, it is imperative that children are given the opportunity and environment to formulate their own philosophies about the world, and so that they too may in turn develop their own theories about the manner in which adults and children should interact. Bibliography Oates, J., Grayson, A., Sun, , Wood., C. W. (2005) Psychological development and early childhood. Malden, MA: Blackwell. Read More