Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - DP120386
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED212353 AUTHOR: Ochiltree, Gay; Edgar, Don
TITLE: The Changing Face of Childhood.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1981
NOTE: 23 p.; Paper presented at the Seminar on Child
Neglect and Abuse (Sydney, Australia, September 24, 1980).
AVAILABILITY: Institute of Family Studies, 766 Elizabeth
Street, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000 (No price
quoted).
ABSTRACT: Originally prepared for the opening address of a
seminar on child abuse and neglect held in Sydney on
September 24, 1980, the aim of this discussion paper is to
give a very brief picture of the conditions and life
patterns of children from the Middle Ages into the
twentieth century. The focus of the historical review is
mainly on British children because Australia was settled as
a British colony and many Australian traditions stem from
colonial days. A brief "catalogue of disaster" reflecting
the harsh social conditions under which families in general
and children in particular had to suffer is presented in
order to emphasize that it becomes very hard to draw the
line between ideas of abuse and neglect in the present and
normal treatment in the past. Emphasis is also given to the
fact that in the past different treatment received by
children was based on underlying, opposing views of the
nature of a new baby. Attention is given to the historical
development of articles of legislation protecting British
children. Concluding paragraphs discuss the social
conditions of childhood in Australia and indicate some of
the problems of childhood (such as violence against
children and unscrupulous advertising) in the context of
the so-called child-centered twentieth century. (Author/RH)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Child-Abuse; Child-Neglect; Child-Rearing;
Foreign-Countries; Theories-
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Children-; *Family-Life; *History-;
*Legislation-; *Parent-Child-Relationship; *Social
Influences
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