Childhood and its meanings

Introduction

According to the various studies carried out by scientists and the different observations that each of us makes empirically, childhood is the period of life when the individual has not yet completed his or her growth. The final stage of childhood would then be the end of growth. This is why some psychologists believe that childhood is a period of maturation pending maturity.

Admittedly, there will always be a little child in the adult world. However we need to measure the degree to which childhood is present in adults. The influence of others on the biological game shows that childhood is above all a social phenomenon.

Childhood as a social phenomenon

One of the most significant phenomena in the life of every society is birth, the arrival of a child. All societies attach particular importance to the ‘child’ phenomenon.  When he appears, the family circle applauds loudly. The soft, shining eyes of the child make everyone’s eyes sparkle. In many societies, long ceremonies often spread over several months to mark the birth of each child, not only to celebrate the advent, but above all so that the whole community recognises this new presence. It is at this time in the life of the new member of the community that he or she is given the marks of belonging: scars, and tattoos, which constitute an indelible seal of identity. The reason is that everything starts in childhood and goes back to it. From the very beginning of childhood, the project of becoming an adult is inscribed in every human being. So, with each birth, there is a new trajectory that the whole community is obliged to take into account. 

Contradictory attitudes in the child’s social environment

There are two contradictory attitudes in the child’s social environment: protection and prohibitions.

Protection

This is characterised by real husbandry in the same way as with animals: feeding, housing, clothing, caring for and defending. To this we can add education, which is a way of raising the child above animality, preparing him to perform effectively the future tasks that society expects of him.

Prohibitions 

At the same time as society pushes children to exceed their capacities, it prevents them from ‘growing up’, from reaching maturity and using their capacities. Love, distrust and protection are often the basis of prohibitions. However, one of the main reasons for prohibition is society’s desire to protect itself from its own members. Rather, it delimits the licit and preserves a ‘vital’ zone in man.

 

Conclusion

The characteristics of a particular child change according to the ideals of the community and society to which he or she belongs. It also seems difficult to draw up a fixed, definitive scheme for accurately predicting a moral standard that can be used to advise or guide.

Oumarou Salissou

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1 comment

  1. Salissou Oumarou 2 weeks ago October 22, 2024

    Un sujet très inédit décrivant la situation ambivalente du concept de l’enfant !

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