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Youth
Childhood
Adulthood
Socially
Constructed
Age
Old age
Early
Childhood
Childhood
• Childhood is the stage in which Primary socialisation
occurs. I.e. we learn language; norms; rules; ideas...
• This is when we are first introduced to a society / culture.
• Childhood has changed a lot over the years – How?
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Youth
• It has dramatically changed
• They are more open to the access of things that are
meant for adults on the internet
• Sexual relationships are occurring at younger ages
• Teenage pregnancy rates are higher
• Children are more protected e.g. Child Protection Act
• Jobs are becoming available for children at a younger
age
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Adulthood
– Adulthood is not considered as a separate
stage because sociology has identified major
differences during adulthood that must be
analysed separately.
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Old age
• In different societies it is considered in
different ways
• In tribal societies it is considered very high
status. Because the old are seen to have
more wisdom and because they have had
a longer life. Thus they have had more life
experience.
• In other societies though it is considered
as a burden to be old.
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Early Childhood
• Occurred in the time period after industrialisation
• They were treated as young adults
• There wasn’t a lot of primary socialisation because poor
children often became ill at a younger age
• As soon as some were able to walk they were expected
to work
• They had a lot of freedom
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Socially constructed
• Sociologists believe that our societies are
socially constructed and as we grow older
we become part of different social groups.
• All of these are present in society even
though they are perceived differently
across cultures
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