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Thane, P. 1981: Childhood In History In George Playford's Childhood In History

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Reference Thane, P. 1981 'Childhood in History ' in King, M. (ed.) Childhood, Welfare and Justice, London, Batsford, pp. 6 - 25. Summary Thane (1981) begins by comparing current rights of young people in different ages and genders in Britain. She questions the legal and administrative practice by showing how contradictive those laws are. Inconsistencies such as young people being eligible to marry at 16 but not attaining legal majority until the age of 18 as well as girls and boys not being responsible for their sexual activities at the same age, developed over time and are, according to Thane (1981), ‘not a modern phenomenon ' (p. 2). Thane (1981) refers frequently to Philippe Ariès work and explains the development of how young people were seen and treated since early human history. She reflects medieval Europe where children were always treated like adults and a childhood as it is known today did not exist until in the thirteenth century a childhood similar attitude and the start of educating young people emerged. Due to economical complexities in the eighteenth-century more knowledge and skills were demanded and kids were sent to school and work to support their families financially. This, according to Thane (1981), explains the change of thinking in people 's minds and the lengthening of childhood as a measure to train kids for a more successful and financially independent life. After a long history of sending children to work, first laws were introduced to

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