Open Collections

Historical perspectives on foundations of western childhood

University of British Columbia

Whenever adults speak about children or make plans for them, their actions are based largely on assumptions about what constitutes the nature of a child and what a child's place in society is. Often forgotten is the fact that these assumptions are shaped by both time and circumstance, and have gone through considerable change in the history of the western world. This thesis attempts to provide a .broad background out of which teachers, curriculum developers, and those involved in * child study' can reflect upon their assumptions about childhood. While the approach is primarily historical, the work is not meant to be a chronological tracing so much as a highlighting of themes in history thought to have a bearing on current debates. In general, the themes include such matters as child sacrifice, infanticide, and aspects of child rearing practice prior to the Renaissance, as well as views of the child emerging from debates about human nature discussed through the intellectual formulations of Renaissance humanism, the Reformation, the Enlightenment and the rise of Science. In 'antiquity', infanticide, child sacrifice, and the exposure of infants were often related to concerns about property and an assumption that children and adults somehow shared different natures. The writings of the Church Fathers, particularly concerning baptism, witnessed a movement stressing the existential equality of old and young. The humanist revival beginning in the late Middle Ages saw a powerful linking of ancient classical education with religious piety, such that the child became increasingly an object of pedagogical concern. For the humanists, education would mean an enriched awareness of providential design as well as a more civilized society. For the reformers the ultimate lesson for the child was to understand man's utter dependence on divine graciousness. As such, reformation views of the child often became overlaid with strong moral intent. With the Enlightenment and the rise of Science came a gradual demystification and secularization of human endeavour such that discussions of man's nature and destiny were carried on without the former classical and theological referents, those being replaced with a concern for natural law, rationalism and the inevitability of human progress. Within this context, childhood was viewed as a time of construction (Locke) and/or a time of natural innocence (Rousseau). Beginning with Darwin, a definite 'scientific' value is assigned to childhood whereby as an isolable entity the child becomes an object fit for empirical study. Within the modern context, studies of childhood suffer from narrowness of methodological vision. What is called for is a more holistic understanding of human life.

Text

2010-02-26

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/20972

Curriculum Studies

University of British Columbia

Graduate