The Roles and Expectations of Children across America
Children play an integral role in our world, our society, and the course of history. Throughout the years the roles and expectations of children in our nation have varied drastically, but the bottom line is that children have, and will, always form the basis of our nation and it’s fundamental beliefs. Children set the standard of how we form our thoughts and opinions, as they carry their ideals on with them. Children have the ability to play their role in the development of society by setting a precedent with their actions for future generations. As history has progressed the roles of children in America have progressed simultaneously, improving the experience of childhood. Progress is impossible without change, and progress is also our goal.
The notions of childhood and adolescence are fairly new terms. Before the second half of the 18th century, children worked as adults and faced the same corporal punishment as adults would. There was no lapse in time between the stage of physical dependency and adulthood. There was an expectation set for children that they were essentially “miniature adults” and that they should serve as an asset to their family rather than a hindrance due to the development of industry. Children were expected to work long hours in factories and warehouses to provide for their families, and they usually didn’t receive an education. The increasing diversity of the family archetype and the transition from nuclear families to other family forms helped encourage the idea of a childhood. The addition of more siblings created a stronger sense of companionship and dispersed the workload that was placed on the children's shoulders. The evolution of the definition of a family allowed an essential shift in the roles and culture of children, as a smaller family created more individualized attention, and a larger family created constant stimulation and unity.
The shift in the roles and expectations of children throughout history was not an abrupt, dramatic change. As history went on societies' expectations of children transformed. A refined sense of childhood was created during the seventeenth century as citizens began to realize that children were unfit for the industry, and that they had the potential to do more. Society as a whole began to recognize children's intelligence during the early eighteenth century and sent them through the education system, where they began to see the value of self-worth, and the value of their role in society. Childhood today is constructed by society’s ideals and how the public views children’s statuses and responsibilities. Children are nowadays granted more medical and leisure services, as well as opportunities for further education. Limitations were placed on child labor and requirements were set for a mandatory education. Even businesses have created a large consumer empire centered around children, causing children to have a longer and stronger dependency on their parents, extending their childhood. In the United States today children of all backgrounds are seen to “deserve” a childhood due to society’s changing view of the nature of humankind. Children are our future and each generation is expected to learn from the mistakes of the past. John F. Kennedy once said, "Children are the world's most valuable resource, and its best hope for the future." There will always be a variation in the roles and expectations that are placed upon children, due to the immense diversity found not only in the world, but also in our nation. However, as society continues to progress it is only logical that our views of children will progress as well. Children are vital in the turnout of our world as foundations of an individual’s beliefs are set in early childhood.
Children play an integral role in our world, our society, and the course of history. Throughout the years the roles and expectations of children in our nation have varied drastically, but the bottom line is that children have, and will, always form the basis of our nation and it’s fundamental beliefs. Children set the standard of how we form our thoughts and opinions, as they carry their ideals on with them. Children have the ability to play their role in the development of society by setting a precedent with their actions for future generations. As history has progressed the roles of children in America have progressed simultaneously, improving the experience of childhood. Progress is impossible without change, and progress is also our goal.
The notions of childhood and adolescence are fairly new terms. Before the second half of the 18th century, children worked as adults and faced the same corporal punishment as adults would. There was no lapse in time between the stage of physical dependency and adulthood. There was an expectation set for children that they were essentially “miniature adults” and that they should serve as an asset to their family rather than a hindrance due to the development of industry. Children were expected to work long hours in factories and warehouses to provide for their families, and they usually didn’t receive an education. The increasing diversity of the family archetype and the transition from nuclear families to other family forms helped encourage the idea of a childhood. The addition of more siblings created a stronger sense of companionship and dispersed the workload that was placed on the children's shoulders. The evolution of the definition of a family allowed an essential shift in the roles and culture of children, as a smaller family created more individualized attention, and a larger family created constant stimulation and unity.
The shift in the roles and expectations of children throughout history was not an abrupt, dramatic change. As history went on societies' expectations of children transformed. A refined sense of childhood was created during the seventeenth century as citizens began to realize that children were unfit for the industry, and that they had the potential to do more. Society as a whole began to recognize children's intelligence during the early eighteenth century and sent them through the education system, where they began to see the value of self-worth, and the value of their role in society. Childhood today is constructed by society’s ideals and how the public views children’s statuses and responsibilities. Children are nowadays granted more medical and leisure services, as well as opportunities for further education. Limitations were placed on child labor and requirements were set for a mandatory education. Even businesses have created a large consumer empire centered around children, causing children to have a longer and stronger dependency on their parents, extending their childhood. In the United States today children of all backgrounds are seen to “deserve” a childhood due to society’s changing view of the nature of humankind. Children are our future and each generation is expected to learn from the mistakes of the past. John F. Kennedy once said, "Children are the world's most valuable resource, and its best hope for the future." There will always be a variation in the roles and expectations that are placed upon children, due to the immense diversity found not only in the world, but also in our nation. However, as society continues to progress it is only logical that our views of children will progress as well. Children are vital in the turnout of our world as foundations of an individual’s beliefs are set in early childhood.