Childhood in flux--Part I: Ancient world until modern times

• Published in: Praxis der Kinderpsychologie und Kinderpsychiatrie Vol. 55; no. 4; p. 271
• Main Authors: Hardt, Jochen, Hoffmann, Sven Olaf
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01.01.2006
• Subjects: Adolescent; Child; Child Abuse - history; Child Care - history; Child, Abandoned - history; Child, Preschool; Employment - history; Europe; Female; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Humans; Infant; Infanticide - history; Male; Social Values; United States; United States; Europe
• ISSN: 0032-7034

Scientific research on childhood constitutes a relatively new field. As we know today, there is no other period in our lives that more strongly forms us and our culture. Hence, it is surprising that in the past this viewpoint was completely different. Until medieval times, a child's life did not count for much, that is, as long as the child was not the beneficiary of an inheritance. And even if so, social relationships were businesslike, e.g. concerning marriage. J.-J. Rousseau (1712-1778) demonstrated the worthlessness of children even in his recognition of them: The nature of humans is neither good nor bad, and is hardly different from that of animals. Despite Rousseau's idealistic concept of education as a kind of identification process for the child, he put his own five children into the foundling hospital of Paris; he was bothered by them when writing. Up to the beginning of the 19th century, the value of a child was determined by his or her ability to work. In the years 1813 to 1814 in Great Britain, 130,000 out of 213,000 weavers were children under the age of 14. Children had to take part in breadwinning at an early age; their character was regarded as being like that of an immature adult (i. e., a small barbarian). Specific childlike needs were rarely met or even acknowledged by adults.