Hist-A 300: Children, Childhood, and the Family

Please start by filling out the getting-to-know-you form

Introductions!

• Name and year• Where you’re from• Why you’re taking this class• Your favorite childhood memory

Let’s talk about the syllabus!

WHAT IS A CHILD? WHAT IS CHILDHOOD? WHAT WORDS COME TO MIND WHEN I SAY THESE WORDS?

READING: BENJAMIN FRANKLINIn his autobiography, Benjamin Franklin describes his childhood and youth. What is similar to today, and what is different?

Why?

Concept v. Conception

• Philippe Aries, Centuries of Childhood, 1962

What is our modern-day conception of childhood?

What conception of childhood was present in Franklin’s autobiography?

Steven Mintz, Huck’s Raft

• Premodern childhood– Children viewed as adults in training

• Modern childhood– Children viewed as innocent, protected

• Postmodern childhood– Children viewed as knowledgeable consumers

Early Ideas about Childhood

• Children as depraved & in need of correction– Emphasis on corporal punishment– Children expected to act like miniature adults

• Children as blank slates– Promoted by John Locke, 1693– Emphasis on malleability & nurture

• Children as uncorrupted– Promoted by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1762– Emphasis on expressing their inner selves

The Natural Child

• 1750-1830• Exposure to nature emphasized• Children’s play became more active• Children’s clothing became looser

The Pure Child

• Children as especially spiritual or close to God• Adults can learn from children• “Childhood hath saved me.” ~ Bronson Alcott

The Innocent Child

• 1830-1900• Influenced by the Romantic Movement• Children at once pure and vulnerable• Children’s material culture designed to protect

children or show them off

Do we still see children as pure and innocent today?

Children’s perceived vulnerability led to a demand for both scientific literature on child

rearing and parenting manuals

What sorts of sources can we use to learn about children and

childhood in the past?

Mintz’s Myths

• The myth of the carefree childhood• The myth of the home as a haven• The myth of a uniform childhood• The myth of a child-friendly society• The myth of progress• The myth of decline