There has been tremendous social development over the years, and with it, changes in family structures, relations, and compositions. A notable area of social development has been childhood due to the concern that it attracts from many stakeholders and its role in the perceived continuity of the society. While childhood is considered a developmental stage at which behavioral acquisition occurs, pre-industrial Westerners lacked such awareness (Aries, 1965). For this reason, the group indeed considered childhood as similar to adults as opposed to the current case where there is separation between adults and children (Cleverly & Phillips, 2001). An illustration of this contrast is the difference in legal perception of children in the two eras. In this case, children are considered incapable of comprehending the exact nature of their crimes as opposed to being held accountable as would an adult in the pre-industrial Western societies. Similarly, children were expected to engage in commercial work as opposed to current settings where such a practice is abhorred.
Children are perceived to live in a unique stage of life as illustrated by various Romantics such as Wordsworth and Rousseau. For instance, Wordsworth states that “ But trailing clouds of glory do we come/ From God, who is our home: ” (Lines 66-67) showing the uniqueness of childhood. The poem, similarly to other Romantics, portrays the stage as needing keen care and love. However, the pre-industrial Westerners is depicted as one that failed to offer the special care needed to children. The era mistreated children by denying them emotional, economical, and social support needed for them to have proper growth. This is the reason DeMausse claims that "the history of childhood is a nightmare from which we have just begun to awaken" (1975).
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Human beliefs and attitudes on childhood have mainly been the same, but have only evolved with social development. For instance, the pre-industrial Western society is portrayed as indifferent to children. Although this perspective has changed, elements of indifference are still evident as parents have continually been more absorbed into their work as compared to attending to their children. Additionally, the media and courts is largely filled with cases of child exploitation, a scenario similar to their perception as sources of commercial workforce in pre-industrial Western communities.
References
Aries, P. (1965). Centuries of childhood: A social history of family life . Vintage Books.
Cleverley, J., & Phillips, D. (2001). Visions of childhood: Influential models from Locke to Spock . Teachers College Press.
Wordsworth, William. "Ode: Intimations of Immortality." The Oxford Book of English Verse, 1250- 1900.
