The evolution of childhood

By Priscilla Alderson, professor of childhood studies in the Institute of Education's Social Science Research Unit Childhood is an institution with established laws and formal customs. It is often thought of as a biological and inevitable stage of life. It is, however, a social stage, lasting around seven to 12 years in some societies or up to the mid-20s for some young adults in modern Western societies. About 150 years ago, after a short infancy (infant meaning 'without speech'), working-class children were very much treated as adults. They had few rights or possessions, heavy workloads, little leisure, and the anxieties...