Childhood and Adolescence in the Past and Present

The readings by Amira El Azhary Sonbol, Viviana Zeliezer, and Beth Baron have given me an exciting perspective on how childhood and adolescence have changed in the past hundred years and how expectations of young people have changed developed over time, place, and social/economic class. The paragraphs below will provide a clear reflection on how childhood has changed in the past hundred years, what is expected of young people, natural phases in childhood and adolescence, and the associated traits.

When looking at how childhood has changed in the past hundred years, it is evident that children’s roles have changed drastically. In the past, children were expected to help out with the family’s work, often at a very young age. This contrasts with the modern day, where children are expected to focus on their studies and participate in extracurricular activities (Amar & El Shakry, 2013). Additionally, in the past, children were expected to obey their parents without question, whereas nowadays, children are encouraged to express themselves and challenge authority. This shift in roles has also been shaped by changing laws, as illustrated by the example of Islāmic history in El Azhary Sonbol’s article. Here, we can see that the rules surrounding family and divorce have changed drastically in the past century, with the advent of the new Islamic family law in the 1970s.

The expectations of young people are also heavily reliant on time, place, and social/economic class. For example, in some cultures, young people are expected to get married and have children at a relatively young age, whereas in other cultures, young people are expected to stay in school for a more extended period. In some cultures, young people are expected to adhere to their parent’s wishes, while in other cultures, they are encouraged to pursue their interests and dreams (Sonbol, 2020). Viviana Zeliezer’s article “Pricing the Priceless Child” looks at the social/economic class aspect of this, discussing how children from low-income families are often expected to take on a more considerable burden of work to support their family, while children from middle-class families may be expected to focus more on their studies.

It can be argued that childhood and adolescence are natural and socially constructed phases in an individual’s life. On the one hand, these phases are determined by biology and genetics, as individuals naturally develop and mature as they grow older. On the other hand, these phases are heavily influenced by the society and culture that an individual lives in, as the expectations and roles of children and adolescents vary from place to place (Zelizer, 1994). This is illustrated in the International Journal of Middle East Studies, which looks at how childhood and adolescence are viewed differently in different parts of the Middle East and how this impacts the expectations of young people.

Five key characteristics come to mind when looking at the traits associated with the phases of childhood and adolescence. Firstly, these phases are associated with learning and development, as children and adolescents are expected to learn and grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially (Sonbol, 2020). Secondly, these phases are associated with exploration and experimentation, as children and adolescents are encouraged to explore the world around them and discover their interests and passions (Amar & El Shakry, 2013). Thirdly, these phases are associated with curiosity and creativity, as children and adolescents are often full of interest and creative ideas. Fourthly, these phases are associated with independence, as young people are expected to gain more freedom as they grow older. Lastly, these phases are associated with resilience and adaptability, as young people are expected to develop strength and adaptability to face life’s challenges.

In conclusion, the readings have given me an exciting insight into how childhood and adolescence have changed in the past hundred years and how expectations of young people have developed over time, place, and social/economic class. It has also shown me that these phases are natural and socially constructed and are associated with five key traits: learning and development, exploration and experimentation, curiosity and creativity, independence, and resilience and adaptability.

References

Amar, P., & El Shakry, O. (2013). Introduction: Curiosities of Middle East studies in queer times. International Journal of Middle East Studies, 45(2), 331–335.

Sonbol, A. E.-A. (2020). Women, the family, and divorce laws in Islamic history. Syracuse University Press.

Zelizer, V. A. (1994). Pricing the priceless child: The changing social value of children. Princeton University Press.