You might find some interesting related material in: Hawes, Joseph M. (1971). Children in Urban Society. New York: Oxford University Press. Josh Meisel wrote: > Take a look at the following titles from Oxford University Press: > > Bernard, Thomas J. (1992) The cycle of juvenile justice New York: Oxford > University Pres > Feld, Barry C. (1999). Bad kids : race and the transformation of the > juvenile court. New York: Oxford University Press. > > Both provide compelling accounts of how the "idea" of childhood has > changed historically in Western societies. They are limited, though > insofar as they exclude changing conceptions of childhood in Eastern, > African, cultures...If anyone else has suggestions for cross-cultural > study of evolution of "chidhood", I'd be grateful... > > Both Feld and Bernard draw heavily on the work of Philippe Aries: > > Aries, Philippe. (1966) The World of children. London: Hamlyn > > What becomes clear from these readings is that, at least in western > societies, the idea of children evolved from viewing them as virtually > nonexistant (in part because of very high infant mortality rates up until > 16th c.), to little people (who participated in all of the behaviors and > vices as adults), to the more "modern" conception of children as > malleable, (unlike adults who are "set in their ways"). Of course these > changes weren't simply determined by lower infant mortality rates and > parents developing stronger attachments to children, but also by ideas > about morality emerging during late 19th c. that coincided with rise in > protestant christianity (e.g., notion of original sin) that suggested > adults were beyond "salvation" and providing children with proper moral > upbringing may help ensure eternal salvation... > > But children also became focus of "child savers", (see Platt, Anthony M. > (1977). The child savers : the invention of delinquency. Chicago: > University of Chicago Press) for a discussion of emergence of social work > as a profession and juvenile court as an institution...Platt argues > basically that juvenile court emerged as a tool to manage "other people's > children" (e.g., immigrant and working class families) and has been a very > destructive force in the lives of many children. Thus, according to Platt, > conception of children evolved to reflect concerns of white Protestant > middle and upper class rural (values orientation) population - this is of > course, the same population that rallied around Temperance ideology... > > So, there does seem to be an intersection between rise in Temperance > ideology and changing ideas of childhood. My apologies if I've rambled but > this is one tangent of my dissertation research... > > Regards, > > Josh Meisel > > On Mon, 30 Apr 2001, David Fahey wrote: > > > The more I study alcohol history the more that I begin to realize the > > extent of my ignorance. Perhaps ATHG subscribers can help me in regards > > youth and alcoholic beverages. I assume that a large part of the problem > > is how a society defines childhood. For instance, in recent years in the > > USA, childhood has been both enlarged chronologically (university students > > are not expected to be as responsible for their actions as had people of > > the same age a hundred years previously) and also narrowed (adult rights in > > voting and sexuality for teenagers). I assume too that the varying role of > > formal law in different societies is relevant, as is the kind of alcoholic > > beverages (for instance, wine or whiskey, low-alcohol beer or regular beer, > > etc.). And, of course, minimum legal ages for drinking seldom coincide > > with practice. There are all sorts of other considerations, as for > > example, religion (notably, Islam) and the role alcohol plays in social > > rituals, etc. Any suggestions? > > > > David M. Fahey Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA <[log in to unmask]> > > > > Josh Meisel > Department of Sociology > CB 327 > University of Colorado > Boulder, CO 80309-0327