L032: Has childhood improved?

Evaluate whether childhood has improved by weighing protection, education, inequality and adult control.

Connect and Check

Core concept Improvement depends on criteria: protection, happiness, autonomy, opportunity, equality or security.

  1. March-of-progress arguments emphasise rights, welfare and education; conflict arguments highlight control and inequality.
  2. Learners make a judgement rather than listing advantages and disadvantages.

Study builder

March of progress

Childhood has become more protected through schooling, welfare and legal rights.

Gittins

Adult power can continue through age patriarchy even within child-centred families.

Postman

Argued that media may blur boundaries between adult and child knowledge.

Choose your route

Access

Access: identify criteria for improvement from examples.

Core

Core: build a two-sided argument using evidence.

Stretch

Stretch: develop a criterion-led judgement that changes by social group.

Exam practice

Evaluate the view that childhood has improved in modern society. [20/30-mark planning]