1 00:00:12,490 --> 00:00:19,699 thank you very much well thank you for 2 00:00:14,629 --> 00:00:22,880 coming out on a wet and travel 3 00:00:19,699 --> 00:00:25,669 interrupted evening I got on a train at 4 00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:28,640 fabricon I was told it was going to go 5 00:00:25,669 --> 00:00:29,779 slow took of the danger of floods and 6 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,780 thought I wouldn't get here but here I 7 00:00:29,779 --> 00:00:36,440 am and what I want to tell you this 8 00:00:32,780 --> 00:00:39,730 evening is a story of two narratives 9 00:00:36,440 --> 00:00:43,600 about childhood once progressive and 10 00:00:39,730 --> 00:00:50,300 positive and the others depressing and 11 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:53,780 negative in 1942 the poet in SCS Sylvia 12 00:00:50,300 --> 00:00:56,570 Lind admitted that year that we have our 13 00:00:53,780 --> 00:00:59,120 temporary misfortunes but he was 14 00:00:56,570 --> 00:01:02,660 confident that the story of English 15 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:10,490 children is a story that moves towards a 16 00:01:02,660 --> 00:01:12,439 happy ending try saying that in 2014 no 17 00:01:10,490 --> 00:01:14,990 one now imagines that the story of 18 00:01:12,439 --> 00:01:17,990 English children is moving towards a 19 00:01:14,990 --> 00:01:20,389 happy ending news reporting of the state 20 00:01:17,990 --> 00:01:23,840 of childhood is almost uniformly 21 00:01:20,389 --> 00:01:27,350 negative children we know we learn our 22 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:30,289 obese children suffer high rates of 23 00:01:27,350 --> 00:01:32,719 self-harming and mental illness children 24 00:01:30,289 --> 00:01:35,929 are described as couch potatoes slumped 25 00:01:32,719 --> 00:01:39,490 in front of screens children suffer from 26 00:01:35,929 --> 00:01:42,529 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 27 00:01:39,490 --> 00:01:45,170 children are materialistic hooked on 28 00:01:42,529 --> 00:01:47,450 consumerism an alarming number of 29 00:01:45,170 --> 00:01:51,529 children's need to be autistic or to 30 00:01:47,450 --> 00:01:54,020 suffer from dyslexia and since the 1970s 31 00:01:51,529 --> 00:01:56,929 so research shows the world which 32 00:01:54,020 --> 00:02:01,819 children explore on their own has shrunk 33 00:01:56,929 --> 00:02:04,310 by a factor of nine this is not a purely 34 00:02:01,819 --> 00:02:07,340 British phenomenon but according to what 35 00:02:04,310 --> 00:02:11,870 we read it's worse in Britain than 36 00:02:07,340 --> 00:02:15,349 anywhere else when in 2007 UNICEF did a 37 00:02:11,870 --> 00:02:17,930 survey of children in 21 advanced 38 00:02:15,349 --> 00:02:22,040 economies you probably know where the 39 00:02:17,930 --> 00:02:24,680 united kingdom came 21st 40 00:02:22,040 --> 00:02:26,739 and things don't seem to be getting 41 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:30,859 better there was a report last year 42 00:02:26,739 --> 00:02:33,230 showing that three-quarters of German 43 00:02:30,859 --> 00:02:36,709 junior school children were allowed to 44 00:02:33,230 --> 00:02:42,650 travel home from school alone only one 45 00:02:36,709 --> 00:02:44,989 quarter or British children in 2006 sue 46 00:02:42,650 --> 00:02:48,319 Palmer published the book called toxic 47 00:02:44,989 --> 00:02:52,099 childhood our children's he argued are 48 00:02:48,319 --> 00:02:55,280 being poisoned not only by the food they 49 00:02:52,099 --> 00:02:57,709 eat and the drink they drink but also by 50 00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:00,919 the messages they receive and that 51 00:02:57,709 --> 00:03:06,109 invite them into a world of consumption 52 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:10,400 and sexualisation so here are the two 53 00:03:06,109 --> 00:03:16,120 narratives I want to show how and why 54 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:20,599 Sylvia Lynde was so optimistic in 1942 55 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:24,970 how that optimism survived for another 56 00:03:20,599 --> 00:03:28,549 30 years or so after 1942 but then 57 00:03:24,970 --> 00:03:32,349 collapsed in the early 1970s to be 58 00:03:28,549 --> 00:03:35,030 succeeded by the negative narrative and 59 00:03:32,349 --> 00:03:37,549 I want to suggest that the power of 60 00:03:35,030 --> 00:03:40,459 these narratives is such that they form 61 00:03:37,549 --> 00:03:43,329 a framework within which we fit 62 00:03:40,459 --> 00:03:46,669 everything we hear about children and 63 00:03:43,329 --> 00:03:49,940 childhood further that we go out to look 64 00:03:46,669 --> 00:03:52,699 for facts which will reinforce the 65 00:03:49,940 --> 00:03:56,260 narrative so let me start with the 66 00:03:52,699 --> 00:03:59,659 progressive narrative it's shaped as a 67 00:03:56,260 --> 00:04:04,400 romance that most basic of human stories 68 00:03:59,659 --> 00:04:07,030 it starts in the olden times once upon a 69 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:10,430 time a historically unspecific period 70 00:04:07,030 --> 00:04:13,189 when children like adults lived in the 71 00:04:10,430 --> 00:04:15,190 countryside help their parents around 72 00:04:13,189 --> 00:04:17,570 the house in the garden on the farm 73 00:04:15,190 --> 00:04:20,599 gradually taking on more responsible 74 00:04:17,570 --> 00:04:23,570 roles as they grew older there was no 75 00:04:20,599 --> 00:04:26,870 great sentimentality about children life 76 00:04:23,570 --> 00:04:29,409 was too hard and demanding for that they 77 00:04:26,870 --> 00:04:33,320 were treated so the story claimed as 78 00:04:29,409 --> 00:04:34,849 little adults though that phrase i think 79 00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:39,159 is an imposition 80 00:04:34,849 --> 00:04:43,339 earlier centuries by the 19th century 81 00:04:39,159 --> 00:04:47,240 neither families nor society were 82 00:04:43,339 --> 00:04:55,610 child-oriented the life course was 83 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:57,309 pictured as a triangle you started at 84 00:04:55,610 --> 00:05:01,699 the base of the triangle was a baby 85 00:04:57,309 --> 00:05:06,459 climbed up to the height in middle age 86 00:05:01,699 --> 00:05:14,749 and then began the descent downwards 87 00:05:06,459 --> 00:05:18,679 their childhood a Shakespeare described 88 00:05:14,749 --> 00:05:22,149 it consisted of the infant mewling and 89 00:05:18,679 --> 00:05:25,939 puking and of the whining schoolboy 90 00:05:22,149 --> 00:05:28,369 going unwillingly to school the 91 00:05:25,939 --> 00:05:33,110 childhood years were not as they were to 92 00:05:28,369 --> 00:05:35,749 become the best years of life this world 93 00:05:33,110 --> 00:05:38,689 depicted as stable and hardly changing 94 00:05:35,749 --> 00:05:40,939 was according to the narrative disrupted 95 00:05:38,689 --> 00:05:44,089 by two forces that came to prominence in 96 00:05:40,939 --> 00:05:46,819 the late 18th century the first was 97 00:05:44,089 --> 00:05:50,149 romanticism and the second was the 98 00:05:46,819 --> 00:05:52,639 Industrial Revolution if we look a 99 00:05:50,149 --> 00:05:55,279 little bit before romanticism took hold 100 00:05:52,639 --> 00:05:58,069 I think we could argue until the late 101 00:05:55,279 --> 00:06:01,909 18th century there were two main modes 102 00:05:58,069 --> 00:06:04,729 of child-rearing the first strongest 103 00:06:01,909 --> 00:06:08,329 amongst Puritans saw the baby is born in 104 00:06:04,729 --> 00:06:11,240 sin the task of parenting was to bring 105 00:06:08,329 --> 00:06:14,899 the child to a consciousness of sin and 106 00:06:11,240 --> 00:06:16,789 to the means of salvation this was not 107 00:06:14,899 --> 00:06:21,249 something that could be left to chance 108 00:06:16,789 --> 00:06:26,979 or time children's lives were fragile 109 00:06:21,249 --> 00:06:29,749 isaac watts in 1715 in his divine songs 110 00:06:26,979 --> 00:06:33,079 attempted in easy language for the use 111 00:06:29,749 --> 00:06:34,939 of children taught children to sing this 112 00:06:33,079 --> 00:06:38,649 you might just might try and imagine 113 00:06:34,939 --> 00:06:42,079 yourself aged about six singing this 114 00:06:38,649 --> 00:06:42,969 there is an hour when I must die nor do 115 00:06:42,079 --> 00:06:46,029 I know how 116 00:06:42,969 --> 00:06:49,149 sunt will come a thousand children young 117 00:06:46,029 --> 00:06:54,549 as I are called by death to hear their 118 00:06:49,149 --> 00:06:57,549 doom the second mode of child rearing 119 00:06:54,549 --> 00:07:00,459 strongly influenced by john locke's 1693 120 00:06:57,549 --> 00:07:02,199 some thoughts concerning education place 121 00:07:00,459 --> 00:07:04,419 the emphasis on instilling in two 122 00:07:02,199 --> 00:07:06,489 children habits and thoughts that work 123 00:07:04,419 --> 00:07:09,999 induced to the emergence of rational 124 00:07:06,489 --> 00:07:12,759 adults education as far as possible was 125 00:07:09,999 --> 00:07:16,679 to be made enjoyable but all to the end 126 00:07:12,759 --> 00:07:19,629 of producing the desired adult 127 00:07:16,679 --> 00:07:23,049 romanticism in this context was I think 128 00:07:19,629 --> 00:07:25,629 revolutionary the child moved center 129 00:07:23,049 --> 00:07:28,509 stage and was far from being painted 130 00:07:25,629 --> 00:07:32,259 with original sin or as in the Lockean 131 00:07:28,509 --> 00:07:35,769 view a mere blank slate TIG Blake's 132 00:07:32,259 --> 00:07:40,869 Blake's songs of innocence he has a two 133 00:07:35,769 --> 00:07:44,409 day old child talking to his mother I 134 00:07:40,869 --> 00:07:48,729 have no I there no name I am but two 135 00:07:44,409 --> 00:07:54,419 days old what shall I call thee I happy 136 00:07:48,729 --> 00:07:57,639 am joy is my name sweet joy before thee 137 00:07:54,419 --> 00:07:59,289 now that may sound very obvious and 138 00:07:57,639 --> 00:08:03,099 simple but it is actually I think a 139 00:07:59,289 --> 00:08:06,009 totally new way of looking at childhood 140 00:08:03,099 --> 00:08:07,989 and it had it that is not a very good 141 00:08:06,009 --> 00:08:10,659 reproduction of a famous picture the age 142 00:08:07,989 --> 00:08:12,759 of innocence by Joshua Reynolds but this 143 00:08:10,659 --> 00:08:15,249 became the template from then onwards 144 00:08:12,759 --> 00:08:18,039 for how you would depict children 145 00:08:15,249 --> 00:08:23,889 children sitting amidst nature in the 146 00:08:18,039 --> 00:08:26,860 country innocent Wordsworth in his 147 00:08:23,889 --> 00:08:29,769 enormous Lorraine influential but 148 00:08:26,860 --> 00:08:32,229 curiously titled Oh Don intimations of 149 00:08:29,769 --> 00:08:35,889 immortality from recollections of early 150 00:08:32,229 --> 00:08:38,198 childhood claimed in a phrase which came 151 00:08:35,889 --> 00:08:41,490 much mocked later but claimed that 152 00:08:38,198 --> 00:08:46,569 babies came trailing clouds of glory 153 00:08:41,490 --> 00:08:49,959 from God with our home children will now 154 00:08:46,569 --> 00:08:53,200 messengers from God imbued with a 155 00:08:49,959 --> 00:08:56,890 sensitivity to nature and an in 156 00:08:53,200 --> 00:09:00,100 on morality they could teach adults how 157 00:08:56,890 --> 00:09:02,650 to live a good childhood became the 158 00:09:00,100 --> 00:09:05,560 foundation block for later life but 159 00:09:02,650 --> 00:09:09,730 growing up in this perspective was a 160 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:12,970 process of loss childhood was now seen 161 00:09:09,730 --> 00:09:18,280 as the best time of life the life course 162 00:09:12,970 --> 00:09:20,800 thereafter downhill childhood they 163 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:23,860 reiterated again and again should be 164 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:26,830 happy is an indication of how pervasive 165 00:09:23,860 --> 00:09:29,800 the influence of Romanticism was that in 166 00:09:26,830 --> 00:09:32,260 the 1840s Thomas Guthrie a Scottish 167 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:35,440 evangelical minister forgetting about 168 00:09:32,260 --> 00:09:40,570 original sin could proclaim that God 169 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:43,270 made childhood to be happy and what was 170 00:09:40,570 --> 00:09:46,510 the kind of trigger for him saying that 171 00:09:43,270 --> 00:09:48,190 was watching children at play in the 172 00:09:46,510 --> 00:09:50,680 grassmarket in Edinburgh which was a 173 00:09:48,190 --> 00:09:54,940 extremely poor part of Edinburgh at that 174 00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:56,110 time now the other big impact the late 175 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:59,380 18th century was the Industrial 176 00:09:56,110 --> 00:10:02,200 Revolution which itself became 177 00:09:59,380 --> 00:10:06,640 associated with the exploitation of 178 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:09,220 child labor in factories and mines as 179 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:12,010 Jael and Barbara Hammond put it in the 180 00:10:09,220 --> 00:10:13,180 town labourer 1917 I don't think it 181 00:10:12,010 --> 00:10:15,400 would have been at all controversial 182 00:10:13,180 --> 00:10:18,400 when they wrote it during the first 183 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:21,030 phase of the Industrial Revolution the 184 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:24,190 employment of children on a vast scale 185 00:10:21,030 --> 00:10:29,800 became the most important social feature 186 00:10:24,190 --> 00:10:33,040 of English life child labor was came to 187 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:35,410 be seen as a denial of childhood as the 188 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,780 romantics imagined it Coleridge for 189 00:10:35,410 --> 00:10:41,080 example took a leading role in trying to 190 00:10:37,780 --> 00:10:43,750 end it and we need to sort to get us a 191 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:46,180 sense of how revolutionary in my view 192 00:10:43,750 --> 00:10:48,520 this was to look back to what people 193 00:10:46,180 --> 00:10:52,510 were saying in the late 17th early 18th 194 00:10:48,520 --> 00:10:56,560 century John Locke had war had wanted 195 00:10:52,510 --> 00:10:59,320 all children above three whose families 196 00:10:56,560 --> 00:11:01,420 sought relief from the parish to be sent 197 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:02,649 to a working to school a school where 198 00:11:01,420 --> 00:11:07,420 they would work too 199 00:11:02,649 --> 00:11:10,540 keep Daniel Defoe rejoiced in reports of 200 00:11:07,420 --> 00:11:14,490 children of four or five earning their 201 00:11:10,540 --> 00:11:16,899 own keep in the textile trades 202 00:11:14,490 --> 00:11:18,670 romanticism in combination with evidence 203 00:11:16,899 --> 00:11:21,129 of children's working conditions in the 204 00:11:18,670 --> 00:11:25,209 Industrial Revolution killed such 205 00:11:21,129 --> 00:11:27,999 notions by the 1830s samuel roberts a 206 00:11:25,209 --> 00:11:31,149 leading campaigner against the use of 207 00:11:27,999 --> 00:11:35,649 boys to clean chimneys was describing 208 00:11:31,149 --> 00:11:39,490 how ever a toiling child death make us 209 00:11:35,649 --> 00:11:43,420 sad such children it was said were 210 00:11:39,490 --> 00:11:46,480 children without childhood childhood now 211 00:11:43,420 --> 00:11:50,649 painted in romantic colors for Sylvia 212 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:53,429 Lind in 1942 the story of the industrial 213 00:11:50,649 --> 00:11:56,740 age is the story of the martyrdom of 214 00:11:53,429 --> 00:12:00,009 children if the progressive story of 215 00:11:56,740 --> 00:12:06,069 childhood is a romance the Industrial 216 00:12:00,009 --> 00:12:09,790 Revolution was the crisis but a romance 217 00:12:06,069 --> 00:12:14,319 has to have a happy ending fortunately 218 00:12:09,790 --> 00:12:17,019 for both nation and children rescue was 219 00:12:14,319 --> 00:12:18,399 at hand in the story as it was 220 00:12:17,019 --> 00:12:21,189 constructed in the second half of the 221 00:12:18,399 --> 00:12:24,249 19th century philanthropists Lord Ashley 222 00:12:21,189 --> 00:12:27,069 most prominent took up the cause of the 223 00:12:24,249 --> 00:12:30,569 children in mines and factories he was 224 00:12:27,069 --> 00:12:34,899 the biography of 19 26 foot it our 225 00:12:30,569 --> 00:12:37,749 British Abraham Lincoln the Emancipator 226 00:12:34,899 --> 00:12:41,589 of industrial England or in another 227 00:12:37,749 --> 00:12:46,529 phrase the Moses who led the children of 228 00:12:41,589 --> 00:12:46,529 bondage into their Promised Land the 229 00:12:46,620 --> 00:12:56,679 Promised Land was in one since childhood 230 00:12:51,179 --> 00:12:58,839 more mundane Lee it was school Ashley's 231 00:12:56,679 --> 00:13:01,629 concern stretched beyond working 232 00:12:58,839 --> 00:13:03,730 children he took up the cause of stewed 233 00:13:01,629 --> 00:13:05,319 children who were at the forefront of 234 00:13:03,730 --> 00:13:08,079 public attention in the mid-nineteenth 235 00:13:05,319 --> 00:13:10,179 century here to school was seen as the 236 00:13:08,079 --> 00:13:13,059 remedy first in the ragged schools 237 00:13:10,179 --> 00:13:14,209 pioneered in the 1840s and then in a 238 00:13:13,059 --> 00:13:17,749 spread of compulsory 239 00:13:14,209 --> 00:13:20,319 schooling in a late 19th century and 240 00:13:17,749 --> 00:13:24,050 again we have numerous pictures of 241 00:13:20,319 --> 00:13:28,189 street children and a street life and of 242 00:13:24,050 --> 00:13:29,829 here is the rescue in operations feel 243 00:13:28,189 --> 00:13:33,439 like these are the one of Barnardo's 244 00:13:29,829 --> 00:13:35,899 faked before and after photos which he 245 00:13:33,439 --> 00:13:37,490 used the John raise money even dress up 246 00:13:35,899 --> 00:13:38,509 please you would finally still do it 247 00:13:37,490 --> 00:13:40,490 that that wasn't pretty miserable 248 00:13:38,509 --> 00:13:42,829 circumstances but he had a special model 249 00:13:40,490 --> 00:13:45,350 clothing for them and he made them look 250 00:13:42,829 --> 00:13:48,170 thoroughly miserable here he is age 14 251 00:13:45,350 --> 00:13:52,579 photographed before and after and he'd 252 00:13:48,170 --> 00:13:54,920 been rescued in the story of the rescue 253 00:13:52,579 --> 00:13:57,439 there was one further element the rescue 254 00:13:54,920 --> 00:14:01,149 of children from neglect mistreatment 255 00:13:57,439 --> 00:14:04,850 and abuse by adults here the NSPCC 256 00:14:01,149 --> 00:14:08,749 founded in 1889 was seen as playing the 257 00:14:04,850 --> 00:14:11,420 crucial role the NSPCC was supremely 258 00:14:08,749 --> 00:14:13,850 successful in constructing a version of 259 00:14:11,420 --> 00:14:16,850 history in which children enjoyed no 260 00:14:13,850 --> 00:14:21,129 protection under law and it itself until 261 00:14:16,850 --> 00:14:21,129 it itself provided such protection 262 00:14:21,339 --> 00:14:26,360 government in harness with 263 00:14:24,049 --> 00:14:29,839 philanthropists played a crucial role in 264 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:32,360 the rescue of children it passed factory 265 00:14:29,839 --> 00:14:35,110 apps and education acts and what were 266 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:39,889 called children's charters is set up 267 00:14:35,110 --> 00:14:42,860 inspectorate's arnold toynbee who was an 268 00:14:39,889 --> 00:14:44,990 inspirational figure in setting up the 269 00:14:42,860 --> 00:14:49,189 notion of the Industrial Revolution as a 270 00:14:44,990 --> 00:14:51,589 social crisis tremble to think what this 271 00:14:49,189 --> 00:14:58,249 country would have been but for the 272 00:14:51,589 --> 00:15:00,589 factory acts romanticism impact and 273 00:14:58,249 --> 00:15:05,689 resonance I think left three lasting 274 00:15:00,589 --> 00:15:09,139 legacies first childhood as the best 275 00:15:05,689 --> 00:15:11,029 time of life should be prolonged the 276 00:15:09,139 --> 00:15:13,339 raising of the school leaving age was 277 00:15:11,029 --> 00:15:20,929 the most influential way of doing this 278 00:15:13,339 --> 00:15:23,449 starting at ten in 1818 now 18 second 279 00:15:20,929 --> 00:15:27,260 children and adults should as far as 280 00:15:23,449 --> 00:15:30,590 possible inhabit inhabit separate realms 281 00:15:27,260 --> 00:15:33,230 the adult world defined as dangerous for 282 00:15:30,590 --> 00:15:35,990 children special spaces should be 283 00:15:33,230 --> 00:15:39,860 created for children schools playgrounds 284 00:15:35,990 --> 00:15:45,080 and adult spaces such as pubs denied 285 00:15:39,860 --> 00:15:48,710 them and third romanticism provided a 286 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:51,500 story a narrative of things getting 287 00:15:48,710 --> 00:15:54,020 better and we can see that narrative in 288 00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:56,330 place with the reflections on childhood 289 00:15:54,020 --> 00:16:00,290 offered on the occasion of Queen 290 00:15:56,330 --> 00:16:02,840 Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 the 291 00:16:00,290 --> 00:16:06,440 end of the century and then queen with 292 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:10,040 Queen Victoria's death the romance was 293 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:11,780 now complete children had gone through 294 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:15,260 the crisis of the Industrial Revolution 295 00:16:11,780 --> 00:16:20,050 and been rescued for childhood the 296 00:16:15,260 --> 00:16:23,060 nation could congratulate itself in 1897 297 00:16:20,050 --> 00:16:26,990 w clark hall a barrister who worked with 298 00:16:23,060 --> 00:16:30,500 the NSPCC described how when Victoria 299 00:16:26,990 --> 00:16:33,190 came to the throne the great juggernaut 300 00:16:30,500 --> 00:16:36,680 car of unscrupulous commercialism 301 00:16:33,190 --> 00:16:40,090 private greed and domestic inhumanity 302 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:42,590 rolled upon its way with Nanda hinder 303 00:16:40,090 --> 00:16:44,810 tracing our way back down the dim 304 00:16:42,590 --> 00:16:47,780 avenues of the years we see the white 305 00:16:44,810 --> 00:16:52,580 and moldering bones of the child victims 306 00:16:47,780 --> 00:16:57,260 which is cruel wheels have crushed but 307 00:16:52,580 --> 00:17:00,860 the juggernaut and now in 1897 been 308 00:16:57,260 --> 00:17:04,339 halted year by year the number of his 309 00:17:00,860 --> 00:17:07,730 victims become more few the shouts of 310 00:17:04,339 --> 00:17:12,800 the happy rescue children more loud and 311 00:17:07,730 --> 00:17:15,589 more glad happy children themselves led 312 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:18,829 the story in the elementary schools they 313 00:17:15,589 --> 00:17:21,140 sang a song entitled o happy English 314 00:17:18,829 --> 00:17:22,699 children I found evidence of it both in 315 00:17:21,140 --> 00:17:25,430 Durham and in Kent but haven't been able 316 00:17:22,699 --> 00:17:27,290 to find the words you can set yourself a 317 00:17:25,430 --> 00:17:31,220 task of trying to imagine them if you 318 00:17:27,290 --> 00:17:33,230 in the rest of this talk here is how the 319 00:17:31,220 --> 00:17:35,810 Scottish Society for the Prevention of 320 00:17:33,230 --> 00:17:39,350 Cruelty to Children told the story it 321 00:17:35,810 --> 00:17:43,810 comes from sicky sparrows the magazine 322 00:17:39,350 --> 00:17:46,340 of the junior branch the League of pity 323 00:17:43,810 --> 00:17:47,960 sixty years ago when Victoria came to 324 00:17:46,340 --> 00:17:50,270 the throne the children of a nation were 325 00:17:47,960 --> 00:17:53,390 in thousands of instances being done to 326 00:17:50,270 --> 00:17:55,610 death morally and physically in wretched 327 00:17:53,390 --> 00:17:58,700 homes in which they slowly pined and 328 00:17:55,610 --> 00:18:01,250 starved to death in factories closely 329 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:04,550 confined and set to watching the droning 330 00:18:01,250 --> 00:18:06,770 turning wheels until released sick and 331 00:18:04,550 --> 00:18:08,690 faint at night they crept wearily home 332 00:18:06,770 --> 00:18:11,390 with no heart to rejoice in their 333 00:18:08,690 --> 00:18:14,030 childhood no thought but to rest and 334 00:18:11,390 --> 00:18:17,120 were still down in the dark mines 335 00:18:14,030 --> 00:18:20,300 underground little helpless naked 336 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:22,280 children toiled in the coal pits think 337 00:18:20,300 --> 00:18:24,530 what that must have been new children 338 00:18:22,280 --> 00:18:28,850 who loved the bright sunshine and the 339 00:18:24,530 --> 00:18:32,210 green fields but the rescue happened and 340 00:18:28,850 --> 00:18:35,360 was ongoing since the Queen's accessions 341 00:18:32,210 --> 00:18:37,370 city's barrows went on a hundred and 342 00:18:35,360 --> 00:18:40,280 seven acts of parliament have been 343 00:18:37,370 --> 00:18:43,820 passed relating to child life and child 344 00:18:40,280 --> 00:18:46,130 suffering and now you happy children 345 00:18:43,820 --> 00:18:48,260 throughout the length and breadth of 346 00:18:46,130 --> 00:18:50,990 Scotland we would appeal to you to 347 00:18:48,260 --> 00:18:53,630 commemorate the glorious 60 years of our 348 00:18:50,990 --> 00:18:56,270 queen by joining the league of pity and 349 00:18:53,630 --> 00:18:59,120 so helping to carry on the work for 350 00:18:56,270 --> 00:19:02,810 suffering children she has done so much 351 00:18:59,120 --> 00:19:07,850 to further and we can see again in the 352 00:19:02,810 --> 00:19:11,630 picturing of children the rescue 353 00:19:07,850 --> 00:19:15,500 achieved this is kate greenaway sillas 354 00:19:11,630 --> 00:19:19,390 tration of hark hark the dogs do bark 355 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:22,550 the beggars have come to town it's set 356 00:19:19,390 --> 00:19:25,400 curiously in the countryside there's no 357 00:19:22,550 --> 00:19:27,920 town there there's a farmhouse and the 358 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:31,340 beggars us of disappearing into into the 359 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:35,350 background up in the foreground the 360 00:19:31,340 --> 00:19:39,070 child safely protected by 361 00:19:35,350 --> 00:19:42,240 is a gate and a dog this is how 362 00:19:39,070 --> 00:19:46,990 childhood should be enclosed and safe 363 00:19:42,240 --> 00:19:49,720 within a garden and here is a picture I 364 00:19:46,990 --> 00:19:50,950 take more or less a random from a book I 365 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,660 picked up a few years ago called 366 00:19:50,950 --> 00:19:54,789 children in art which is one of those 367 00:19:52,660 --> 00:19:57,490 books like you have them post cards you 368 00:19:54,789 --> 00:20:00,690 can pull out about 50 of them nearly all 369 00:19:57,490 --> 00:20:04,480 50 of them for something like this of a 370 00:20:00,690 --> 00:20:07,299 child sitting in nature surrounded 371 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:10,000 carefully by animals and this is I think 372 00:20:07,299 --> 00:20:15,130 from the amount 19 tens or early 373 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:17,980 twenties so the story is established I 374 00:20:15,130 --> 00:20:20,320 think by the turn of 19th 20th century 375 00:20:17,980 --> 00:20:23,350 and there was no significant threat to 376 00:20:20,320 --> 00:20:26,799 it in the first half of the 20th century 377 00:20:23,350 --> 00:20:29,409 rather it became embedded in 1903 the 378 00:20:26,799 --> 00:20:32,020 author of a standard textbook h2b 379 00:20:29,409 --> 00:20:35,799 gibbons summarized his account in the 380 00:20:32,020 --> 00:20:38,380 words only think of the triumph that 381 00:20:35,799 --> 00:20:43,230 have been won in this generation for the 382 00:20:38,380 --> 00:20:47,919 children of england won for the century 383 00:20:43,230 --> 00:20:50,140 2004 and imagine yourself saying that in 384 00:20:47,919 --> 00:20:52,720 the interwar years the journalists and 385 00:20:50,140 --> 00:20:59,140 suffragist evilyn sharp described how 386 00:20:52,720 --> 00:21:02,260 was a young girl in the 1880s sorry she 387 00:20:59,140 --> 00:21:04,750 had no idea that she stood at the dawn 388 00:21:02,260 --> 00:21:08,140 of a new age that was going to 389 00:21:04,750 --> 00:21:11,260 revolutionize all childhood and had done 390 00:21:08,140 --> 00:21:15,370 so she thought and for the better in 391 00:21:11,260 --> 00:21:16,929 1813 1930 said George Newman chief 392 00:21:15,370 --> 00:21:19,539 medical officer in the Ministry of 393 00:21:16,929 --> 00:21:22,030 Health lecturing to the shafts with 394 00:21:19,539 --> 00:21:25,539 society a society to commemorate 395 00:21:22,030 --> 00:21:27,820 Ashley's work could rejoice the one of 396 00:21:25,539 --> 00:21:32,409 the darkest chapters of our social 397 00:21:27,820 --> 00:21:36,150 history was over the long and shameful 398 00:21:32,409 --> 00:21:38,770 story of cruelty and oppression is ended 399 00:21:36,150 --> 00:21:41,169 children it was frequently said had a 400 00:21:38,770 --> 00:21:44,290 right to health and happiness and 401 00:21:41,169 --> 00:21:46,890 increasingly they enjoyed both Sylvia 402 00:21:44,290 --> 00:21:51,240 Lind celebrated at achievement in 403 00:21:46,890 --> 00:21:53,880 42 drew gress was not confined to 404 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:56,730 Britain the principle behind factory 405 00:21:53,880 --> 00:21:59,670 legislation claimed Sydney web in 1910 406 00:21:56,730 --> 00:22:03,330 has spread to every industrial community 407 00:21:59,670 --> 00:22:08,610 in the old world and the new in the 408 00:22:03,330 --> 00:22:11,040 1830s people across the world look to 409 00:22:08,610 --> 00:22:14,550 Britain in horror at his use of child 410 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:17,850 labour it had an unenviable not arathi 411 00:22:14,550 --> 00:22:21,270 shared only by belgium by the early 20th 412 00:22:17,850 --> 00:22:24,540 century it was priding itself on setting 413 00:22:21,270 --> 00:22:27,600 the path of progress and a narrative 414 00:22:24,540 --> 00:22:31,740 kept going I think just about into the 415 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:34,400 1970s in both national and international 416 00:22:31,740 --> 00:22:38,700 level I'll just give you three markers 417 00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:40,950 in 1973 two very was well-respected 418 00:22:38,700 --> 00:22:43,200 historians Ivy Pinchbeck and Margaret 419 00:22:40,950 --> 00:22:45,210 Hewitt published the second of two 420 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,490 volumes on children in English society 421 00:22:45,210 --> 00:22:49,860 and their second volume started in the 422 00:22:47,490 --> 00:22:52,920 18th century and they opened with a 423 00:22:49,860 --> 00:22:56,880 chapter entitled childhood without 424 00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:59,730 rights and protection children in the 425 00:22:56,880 --> 00:23:03,240 18th century described as being little 426 00:22:59,730 --> 00:23:07,020 adults they end the volume in triumph 427 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:14,660 with the children act of 1948 it's a 428 00:23:07,020 --> 00:23:16,800 story of progress that was 1973 1974 429 00:23:14,660 --> 00:23:20,360 Lloyd the modes were crossing the 430 00:23:16,800 --> 00:23:22,800 Atlantic here in America edited a 431 00:23:20,360 --> 00:23:27,810 influential book called the history of 432 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:29,970 childhood and he argued that child 433 00:23:27,810 --> 00:23:32,940 parent-child relations had gone through 434 00:23:29,970 --> 00:23:36,510 six stages over time these ones I got at 435 00:23:32,940 --> 00:23:38,640 the bottom here the Infanta sidle mode 436 00:23:36,510 --> 00:23:41,370 of child rearing was the first the 437 00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:44,430 abandonment you just leave your child 438 00:23:41,370 --> 00:23:47,220 out to die the ambivalent the intrusive 439 00:23:44,430 --> 00:23:49,440 the socialization is getting better and 440 00:23:47,220 --> 00:23:51,780 finally in the mid 20th century the 441 00:23:49,440 --> 00:23:54,119 helping mode and what he's arguing is 442 00:23:51,780 --> 00:23:55,649 that somehow parents of 443 00:23:54,119 --> 00:23:57,839 got to a stage when they can actually 444 00:23:55,649 --> 00:24:01,469 understand their children can help them 445 00:23:57,839 --> 00:24:03,689 and he starts with this famous or 446 00:24:01,469 --> 00:24:06,209 infamous statement hits the further back 447 00:24:03,689 --> 00:24:08,999 in history one goes that lower the level 448 00:24:06,209 --> 00:24:11,699 of childcare the more likely children 449 00:24:08,999 --> 00:24:16,979 are to be killed abandoned beaten 450 00:24:11,699 --> 00:24:20,819 terrorized and sexually abused there's 451 00:24:16,979 --> 00:24:22,859 still optimism and in 1973 also at the 452 00:24:20,819 --> 00:24:25,619 world level the International Labour 453 00:24:22,859 --> 00:24:30,239 Organization passed its minimum wage 454 00:24:25,619 --> 00:24:35,549 convention setting 15 as the age below 455 00:24:30,239 --> 00:24:38,669 which no child should work very soon 456 00:24:35,549 --> 00:24:41,189 that began to look not only not 457 00:24:38,669 --> 00:24:43,319 achievable but perhaps also something 458 00:24:41,189 --> 00:24:44,699 that it would not be desirable to 459 00:24:43,319 --> 00:24:47,279 achieve that you might in some 460 00:24:44,699 --> 00:24:51,959 circumstances be happy to see children 461 00:24:47,279 --> 00:24:56,999 below 15 working so what happened in the 462 00:24:51,959 --> 00:24:59,159 1970s and 80s or 1974 saw the first 463 00:24:56,999 --> 00:25:01,979 sustained attack on the story and what 464 00:24:59,159 --> 00:25:05,789 it implied for children John halts book 465 00:25:01,979 --> 00:25:09,929 escaped from childhood childhood said 466 00:25:05,789 --> 00:25:12,419 halt was portrayed it childhood pub for 467 00:25:09,929 --> 00:25:15,719 Holt was portrayed as an institution a 468 00:25:12,419 --> 00:25:17,549 kind of prison with powers to lock the 469 00:25:15,719 --> 00:25:20,249 young into 18 years or more of 470 00:25:17,549 --> 00:25:22,649 subservience e independence and make of 471 00:25:20,249 --> 00:25:26,239 them a mixture of expensive nuisance 472 00:25:22,649 --> 00:25:30,019 fragile treasure slave and superpet 473 00:25:26,239 --> 00:25:33,599 childhood he said goes on far too long 474 00:25:30,019 --> 00:25:36,449 what is both new and bad about modern 475 00:25:33,599 --> 00:25:40,889 childhood is that childhood are so cut 476 00:25:36,449 --> 00:25:43,439 off from the adult world this was the 477 00:25:40,889 --> 00:25:45,569 first frontal assault on the image of 478 00:25:43,439 --> 00:25:47,579 childhood that had been built up in the 479 00:25:45,569 --> 00:25:51,809 19th in the first three quarters of the 480 00:25:47,579 --> 00:25:53,609 20th century but it would be naive I 481 00:25:51,809 --> 00:25:55,919 think to place too much emphasis on 482 00:25:53,609 --> 00:25:58,229 haltingly short-lived movements for 483 00:25:55,919 --> 00:26:01,859 child liberation which was some extent 484 00:25:58,229 --> 00:26:03,869 inspired by him larger factors were 485 00:26:01,859 --> 00:26:06,659 involved in the dismantling of the 486 00:26:03,869 --> 00:26:07,740 progressive narrative narrative and its 487 00:26:06,659 --> 00:26:10,650 replacement 488 00:26:07,740 --> 00:26:13,710 by the one we know today and at route 489 00:26:10,650 --> 00:26:19,470 they had little directly to do with 490 00:26:13,710 --> 00:26:22,440 childhood the oil crisis of 1973 seems 491 00:26:19,470 --> 00:26:24,780 to me the great turning point in the 492 00:26:22,440 --> 00:26:28,710 history of the post-war world in the 493 00:26:24,780 --> 00:26:32,280 West the moment when optimism about the 494 00:26:28,710 --> 00:26:33,990 future shriveled it opened the way to 495 00:26:32,280 --> 00:26:36,500 what initially was called the 496 00:26:33,990 --> 00:26:39,630 reaganomics what has come to be called 497 00:26:36,500 --> 00:26:41,880 neoliberalism the belief in the justice 498 00:26:39,630 --> 00:26:44,820 and virtue of the market and the 499 00:26:41,880 --> 00:26:49,110 demonization of welfare states as a drag 500 00:26:44,820 --> 00:26:51,630 on economic progress and the impact of 501 00:26:49,110 --> 00:26:55,530 these developments on children was 502 00:26:51,630 --> 00:26:57,990 dramatic in Britain in the 1980s and 90s 503 00:26:55,530 --> 00:27:02,309 the proportion of children living in 504 00:26:57,990 --> 00:27:06,630 poverty rose from one in ten to one in 505 00:27:02,309 --> 00:27:08,580 three a statistic that led easily into a 506 00:27:06,630 --> 00:27:11,550 negative narrative that things are 507 00:27:08,580 --> 00:27:14,130 getting worse in the developing world 508 00:27:11,550 --> 00:27:17,220 and also in the developed world child 509 00:27:14,130 --> 00:27:19,050 labor began to increase the facts began 510 00:27:17,220 --> 00:27:20,520 to impinge on world consciousness 511 00:27:19,050 --> 00:27:23,070 through the pamphlets published by the 512 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,720 anti-slavery society between nineteen 513 00:27:23,070 --> 00:27:26,790 seventy eight and nineteen eighty eight 514 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:29,010 but there was also work beginning 515 00:27:26,790 --> 00:27:33,150 looking at the extent of child labor in 516 00:27:29,010 --> 00:27:35,540 Britain in the developed world the 517 00:27:33,150 --> 00:27:37,980 transition from childhood to adulthood 518 00:27:35,540 --> 00:27:40,200 which in the late sixties and early 519 00:27:37,980 --> 00:27:42,179 seventies have become concentrated in a 520 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:45,450 few short years in the late teens and 521 00:27:42,179 --> 00:27:48,360 early twenties now stretched out over a 522 00:27:45,450 --> 00:27:51,660 decade or more this was largely due to 523 00:27:48,360 --> 00:27:55,710 youth unemployment which has dogged the 524 00:27:51,660 --> 00:27:57,510 Western world ever since we can see the 525 00:27:55,710 --> 00:28:00,090 collapse of the old confidence about 526 00:27:57,510 --> 00:28:02,220 quant constituted the proper childhood 527 00:28:00,090 --> 00:28:05,330 and about the direction in which society 528 00:28:02,220 --> 00:28:09,330 was moving taking shape from the early 529 00:28:05,330 --> 00:28:14,940 1980s and the keynote was now not 530 00:28:09,330 --> 00:28:17,760 optimism but anxiety within 10 years of 531 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:20,550 John Holt's demand for an escape from 532 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:24,690 childhood Neil postman 533 00:28:20,550 --> 00:28:27,990 in 1982 was lamenting the disappearance 534 00:28:24,690 --> 00:28:29,940 of childhood his was one of a number of 535 00:28:27,990 --> 00:28:33,420 books published around that time and 536 00:28:29,940 --> 00:28:36,000 many sins arguing that the barriers that 537 00:28:33,420 --> 00:28:39,180 probably properly existed between 538 00:28:36,000 --> 00:28:42,690 childhood and adulthood were being 539 00:28:39,180 --> 00:28:46,680 dangerously lowered children were 540 00:28:42,690 --> 00:28:49,290 ceasing to be children postman had many 541 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:51,750 successes in laments about the 542 00:28:49,290 --> 00:28:55,440 undermining of childhood and in 543 00:28:51,750 --> 00:28:59,400 campaigns to hold on to it or to bring 544 00:28:55,440 --> 00:29:04,140 it back at a quite different level of 545 00:28:59,400 --> 00:29:05,790 that of academic history in 1983 Linda 546 00:29:04,140 --> 00:29:07,820 Pollack published a book called 547 00:29:05,790 --> 00:29:12,630 Forgotten children parent-child 548 00:29:07,820 --> 00:29:16,260 relations from 1500 to 1900 and this 549 00:29:12,630 --> 00:29:17,640 marker really big change in the view of 550 00:29:16,260 --> 00:29:20,510 the past which would generally gone 551 00:29:17,640 --> 00:29:24,390 along with the optimistic narrative 552 00:29:20,510 --> 00:29:27,060 Pollock ruthlessly dismantled the 553 00:29:24,390 --> 00:29:30,930 progressive narrative far from being a 554 00:29:27,060 --> 00:29:34,230 hell she said the past was now a country 555 00:29:30,930 --> 00:29:36,900 where parents had always done the best 556 00:29:34,230 --> 00:29:40,590 for their children Pollock rigorously 557 00:29:36,900 --> 00:29:43,320 avoided nostalgia but parents reading it 558 00:29:40,590 --> 00:29:46,620 in later twentieth-century membra 559 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:49,290 Pollock stopped in 1900 might well 560 00:29:46,620 --> 00:29:53,450 wonder whether 20th century parents were 561 00:29:49,290 --> 00:29:56,610 doing as well as their forebears 562 00:29:53,450 --> 00:29:59,760 coinciding with this economic historians 563 00:29:56,610 --> 00:30:02,100 were dismantling and questioning the 564 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:04,110 Industrial Revolution first of all they 565 00:30:02,100 --> 00:30:06,810 they took away the capital letters and 566 00:30:04,110 --> 00:30:08,190 then they began to question it all 567 00:30:06,810 --> 00:30:11,760 together and began to talk about 568 00:30:08,190 --> 00:30:14,400 evolution and more significant for our 569 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:17,430 purposes they quietly dropped child 570 00:30:14,400 --> 00:30:20,130 labor from his previous simple position 571 00:30:17,430 --> 00:30:22,860 both in academic history and in the 572 00:30:20,130 --> 00:30:25,350 progressive narrative and without child 573 00:30:22,860 --> 00:30:27,510 labor the progressive narrative was 574 00:30:25,350 --> 00:30:29,820 undermined from within 575 00:30:27,510 --> 00:30:32,070 many ways i think it was child labour 576 00:30:29,820 --> 00:30:34,680 the crisis which had brought the 577 00:30:32,070 --> 00:30:38,400 childhood and the rescue which was then 578 00:30:34,680 --> 00:30:43,860 described which set the framework for 579 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:46,650 the progressive one and so they began to 580 00:30:43,860 --> 00:30:49,500 emerge a new narrative and it's one 581 00:30:46,650 --> 00:30:53,520 which people of my generation love to 582 00:30:49,500 --> 00:30:55,560 tell we were taught the progressive 583 00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:59,040 narrative and we've seen it 584 00:30:55,560 --> 00:31:00,840 disintegrates our story begins with our 585 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:02,910 own childhoods in the middle years of 586 00:31:00,840 --> 00:31:06,150 the 20th century and ends in the present 587 00:31:02,910 --> 00:31:08,430 in our childhoods we say we had freedom 588 00:31:06,150 --> 00:31:10,650 to explore our world without constant 589 00:31:08,430 --> 00:31:13,080 adult supervision depending on our 590 00:31:10,650 --> 00:31:15,120 social background and where we lived our 591 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:16,800 mothers might turn us out of doors after 592 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:19,770 breakfast and tell us not to come back 593 00:31:16,800 --> 00:31:22,260 until teatime or we might have the 594 00:31:19,770 --> 00:31:24,300 freedom to roam the countryside the kind 595 00:31:22,260 --> 00:31:27,600 of Arthur Ransome swallows and amazons 596 00:31:24,300 --> 00:31:30,720 charlton no one talked about health and 597 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:33,930 safety or about risk assessment autism 598 00:31:30,720 --> 00:31:36,540 dyslexia self-harming attention deficit 599 00:31:33,930 --> 00:31:38,880 hyperactivity disorder eating disorders 600 00:31:36,540 --> 00:31:41,520 the things parents and children worried 601 00:31:38,880 --> 00:31:44,310 about now none of these featured in our 602 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:47,970 lives as far as we knew in those of our 603 00:31:44,310 --> 00:31:51,590 parents in these childhoods it's always 604 00:31:47,970 --> 00:31:54,570 summer time we had scrapes and box 605 00:31:51,590 --> 00:31:57,150 probably some old man sad old man and a 606 00:31:54,570 --> 00:32:01,050 MAF exposed himself to us but we took 607 00:31:57,150 --> 00:32:02,850 this in our stride I sometimes think we 608 00:32:01,050 --> 00:32:05,130 ought to factor in boredom into these 609 00:32:02,850 --> 00:32:07,290 stories of our childhood but even that 610 00:32:05,130 --> 00:32:10,080 wouldn't alter the overall conclusion 611 00:32:07,290 --> 00:32:14,850 our childhoods were happy they were 612 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:16,590 proper childhoods I've come to associate 613 00:32:14,850 --> 00:32:22,080 this pessimistic narrative with the 614 00:32:16,590 --> 00:32:24,120 Daily Mail in 2006 I was asked to write 615 00:32:22,080 --> 00:32:26,670 something for the Daily Mail on the 616 00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:28,440 history of childhood a new opportunity 617 00:32:26,670 --> 00:32:32,430 of an academic historian to reach her 618 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:34,920 new leadership at about one pound a word 619 00:32:32,430 --> 00:32:36,330 with two thousand words to play with it 620 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:40,340 was an offer that was difficult to 621 00:32:36,330 --> 00:32:43,400 refuse but I was told 622 00:32:40,340 --> 00:32:46,909 little or some way into writing this 623 00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:50,000 thing Paul Dacre would take a particular 624 00:32:46,909 --> 00:32:51,950 interest in what I wrote and unless I 625 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:57,190 could show that childhood have got worse 626 00:32:51,950 --> 00:33:01,730 since the 1950s he wouldn't publish it I 627 00:32:57,190 --> 00:33:07,760 did my best but not enough it was 628 00:33:01,730 --> 00:33:10,510 archived no I look back on it I think 629 00:33:07,760 --> 00:33:14,000 some ways Paul Dacre was quite right he 630 00:33:10,510 --> 00:33:16,549 knew exactly what his readers wanted to 631 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:20,000 hear they wanted to have their story 632 00:33:16,549 --> 00:33:24,529 confirmed and I was trying to challenge 633 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:27,440 it it could be said that this negative 634 00:33:24,529 --> 00:33:29,559 narrative has such a hold on us is 635 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:33,559 actually quite difficult to find any 636 00:33:29,559 --> 00:33:35,960 space in which to challenge it few of us 637 00:33:33,559 --> 00:33:38,330 here would probably wish to be thought 638 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:41,120 to have a daily male version of 639 00:33:38,330 --> 00:33:45,860 childhood that in essence i think is 640 00:33:41,120 --> 00:33:48,020 what many of us have the pessimistic 641 00:33:45,860 --> 00:33:51,919 narrative gains much of its potency from 642 00:33:48,020 --> 00:33:55,240 names the names of children who died 643 00:33:51,919 --> 00:33:59,720 through neglect or been murdered or 644 00:33:55,240 --> 00:34:03,169 abducted maria colwell killed by her 645 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:05,960 stepfather in 1973 despite in the last 646 00:34:03,169 --> 00:34:07,669 nine months of her life 30 complaints 647 00:34:05,960 --> 00:34:12,440 about the way her mother and step-father 648 00:34:07,669 --> 00:34:16,089 treaty to Jasmine Beckford starved and 649 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:20,050 battered to death in 1984 James Bulger 650 00:34:16,089 --> 00:34:23,629 murdered by two other children in 1993 651 00:34:20,050 --> 00:34:27,379 Sarah Payne murdered by a pedophile in 652 00:34:23,629 --> 00:34:29,869 two thousand Victoria columbia dying of 653 00:34:27,379 --> 00:34:32,980 hypothermia in two thousand after months 654 00:34:29,869 --> 00:34:38,119 of neglect and abuse madeleine mccann 655 00:34:32,980 --> 00:34:41,929 abducted in 2007 Peter Connolly baby p 656 00:34:38,119 --> 00:34:46,520 dying in 2007 after neglect by his 657 00:34:41,929 --> 00:34:50,010 mother and her boyfriend you can add to 658 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:53,560 the ghastly roll call and it goes on 659 00:34:50,010 --> 00:34:56,980 in the negative narrative the world now 660 00:34:53,560 --> 00:35:02,620 is far from being a safe place for 661 00:34:56,980 --> 00:35:05,740 children in home street school in the 662 00:35:02,620 --> 00:35:07,720 institutions often called homes where 663 00:35:05,740 --> 00:35:12,660 some children have lived many of them 664 00:35:07,720 --> 00:35:16,270 church-run in the BBC or in hospital a 665 00:35:12,660 --> 00:35:20,220 story tells us there is danger for 666 00:35:16,270 --> 00:35:23,290 children so there are the two narratives 667 00:35:20,220 --> 00:35:27,790 the most obvious question to ask of them 668 00:35:23,290 --> 00:35:29,770 is are they true I make some attempt to 669 00:35:27,790 --> 00:35:31,630 answer that but I want also to consider 670 00:35:29,770 --> 00:35:34,870 the implications of narratives of the 671 00:35:31,630 --> 00:35:40,990 kind we have both the childhood and for 672 00:35:34,870 --> 00:35:43,660 children if we ask are they true the 673 00:35:40,990 --> 00:35:46,060 answer has to be I think yes and no take 674 00:35:43,660 --> 00:35:48,700 the progressive narrative it's difficult 675 00:35:46,060 --> 00:35:51,400 to deny that on key measurements like 676 00:35:48,700 --> 00:35:54,490 life expectancy health standard living 677 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:59,110 level of education it was indeed a story 678 00:35:54,490 --> 00:36:01,990 of progress even on these issue has 679 00:35:59,110 --> 00:36:04,900 however there was a degree of over 680 00:36:01,990 --> 00:36:07,330 aching Sir George Newman whom we 681 00:36:04,900 --> 00:36:10,300 encountered earlier went to great 682 00:36:07,330 --> 00:36:12,010 lengths to deny evidence of children's 683 00:36:10,300 --> 00:36:16,300 poor health in the northeast of England 684 00:36:12,010 --> 00:36:20,230 in the into warriors similarly the Home 685 00:36:16,300 --> 00:36:22,420 Office consistently downplayed the 686 00:36:20,230 --> 00:36:24,850 existence of child labour continuing 687 00:36:22,420 --> 00:36:29,080 child labour in the first half of the 688 00:36:24,850 --> 00:36:30,880 20th century it's when we widened the 689 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:32,950 focus to look at some of the policies 690 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:35,200 set in place for the rescue of children 691 00:36:32,950 --> 00:36:40,000 that the progressive story begins 692 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:44,170 seriously defray the NSPCC version of 693 00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:47,410 history was I'm afraid false there's now 694 00:36:44,170 --> 00:36:49,540 a lot of evidence that the world's 695 00:36:47,410 --> 00:36:52,330 protection for children in law before 696 00:36:49,540 --> 00:36:57,970 the NSPCC this give you one bit of it 697 00:36:52,330 --> 00:37:03,640 the times between 1785 and 1860 I before 698 00:36:57,970 --> 00:37:07,990 the NSPCC reported 385 case 699 00:37:03,640 --> 00:37:11,170 of child neglect and sexual abuse only 700 00:37:07,990 --> 00:37:14,140 seven percent resulting in a not guilty 701 00:37:11,170 --> 00:37:16,180 verdict there is considerable evidence 702 00:37:14,140 --> 00:37:18,190 of neighborhood sanctions against 703 00:37:16,180 --> 00:37:21,850 parents who were perceived to be cruel 704 00:37:18,190 --> 00:37:23,320 one magistrate in the 1820s finding 705 00:37:21,850 --> 00:37:25,360 there was insufficient evidence to 706 00:37:23,320 --> 00:37:27,970 convict someone was up before him for 707 00:37:25,360 --> 00:37:30,700 cruelty and abuse looked up into the 708 00:37:27,970 --> 00:37:33,550 gallery of the court and said I'm sure 709 00:37:30,700 --> 00:37:40,060 you'll know what to do when he leaves 710 00:37:33,550 --> 00:37:43,300 the dock and he was attacked but all 711 00:37:40,060 --> 00:37:46,060 this was forgotten as a NSPCC version of 712 00:37:43,300 --> 00:37:49,120 history took root there were further 713 00:37:46,060 --> 00:37:51,850 problems with the rescue narrative for 714 00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:54,970 many children being rescued meant living 715 00:37:51,850 --> 00:37:57,970 in an institution and we have become 716 00:37:54,970 --> 00:38:01,780 very aware of the inhumanity that can 717 00:37:57,970 --> 00:38:02,950 reside in institutions other rescue 718 00:38:01,780 --> 00:38:05,920 policies were more far-reaching 719 00:38:02,950 --> 00:38:08,820 especially the immigration of children 720 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:11,200 overseas to Canada and then to Australia 721 00:38:08,820 --> 00:38:13,000 there might be good intentions behind 722 00:38:11,200 --> 00:38:15,610 some of these policies but that does not 723 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:17,860 defend them against accusations that 724 00:38:15,610 --> 00:38:21,360 they seriously infringe the rights of 725 00:38:17,860 --> 00:38:24,820 those children who were emigrated in 726 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:27,910 short the invocation to children to be 727 00:38:24,820 --> 00:38:31,360 happy to acquire is evil in sharp-edged 728 00:38:27,910 --> 00:38:34,540 the habit of happiness was asking a lot 729 00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:38,770 of children who experienced nothing that 730 00:38:34,540 --> 00:38:41,140 might make them happy as to the negative 731 00:38:38,770 --> 00:38:44,470 narrative there is a gain much truth in 732 00:38:41,140 --> 00:38:47,890 it but the negative narrative too has 733 00:38:44,470 --> 00:38:50,410 been built on some shaky foundations the 734 00:38:47,890 --> 00:38:53,110 thing that strikes me most about much of 735 00:38:50,410 --> 00:38:56,290 the so-called evidence is a very basic 736 00:38:53,110 --> 00:38:59,020 confusion between a correlation and a 737 00:38:56,290 --> 00:39:01,270 calls just to give you an example 738 00:38:59,020 --> 00:39:04,840 children who watch a lot of television 739 00:39:01,270 --> 00:39:08,410 are rated more materialistic than those 740 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:10,570 who watch less but you can't jump from 741 00:39:08,410 --> 00:39:13,450 the correlation to say that it's 742 00:39:10,570 --> 00:39:16,240 watching too much television that makes 743 00:39:13,450 --> 00:39:16,450 them more materialistic it might equally 744 00:39:16,240 --> 00:39:19,180 wear 745 00:39:16,450 --> 00:39:22,869 be the other way around or there might 746 00:39:19,180 --> 00:39:24,339 be other factors involved and in many 747 00:39:22,869 --> 00:39:26,290 cases of this which come up in the 748 00:39:24,339 --> 00:39:28,930 research that's been done people almost 749 00:39:26,290 --> 00:39:32,200 know the answers to the research before 750 00:39:28,930 --> 00:39:36,160 they started and how interesting i think 751 00:39:32,200 --> 00:39:38,349 that materialism which you might say is 752 00:39:36,160 --> 00:39:40,960 at the heart of politicians appeal to 753 00:39:38,349 --> 00:39:46,000 the adult public is thought to be quite 754 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:50,770 unacceptable for children so are there 755 00:39:46,000 --> 00:39:54,430 any reasons to be cheerful well when 756 00:39:50,770 --> 00:39:56,349 unicef in 2013 published the further 757 00:39:54,430 --> 00:39:58,510 study of children's well-being in the 758 00:39:56,349 --> 00:40:00,579 richer countries the headlines and 759 00:39:58,510 --> 00:40:03,820 articles had in some sense been written 760 00:40:00,579 --> 00:40:07,270 before the report emerged we knew it 761 00:40:03,820 --> 00:40:11,140 would be bad news the negative narrative 762 00:40:07,270 --> 00:40:14,369 demanded that it was in fact even on the 763 00:40:11,140 --> 00:40:17,859 most cursory looks better news than in 764 00:40:14,369 --> 00:40:21,010 2007 britain had climbed out of bottom 765 00:40:17,859 --> 00:40:25,240 place and was now 16th out of 29 766 00:40:21,010 --> 00:40:27,910 countries but while grudgingly accepted 767 00:40:25,240 --> 00:40:30,910 accepting this most reporting 768 00:40:27,910 --> 00:40:33,960 highlighted the negative you wouldn't 769 00:40:30,910 --> 00:40:37,630 have known that the report showed 770 00:40:33,960 --> 00:40:40,630 improvement as i've shown here a decline 771 00:40:37,630 --> 00:40:42,010 in infant mortality decline we're 772 00:40:40,630 --> 00:40:44,980 talking about the first decade of the 773 00:40:42,010 --> 00:40:47,950 21st century a decline in child poverty 774 00:40:44,980 --> 00:40:51,609 levels and then from decent from these 775 00:40:47,950 --> 00:40:54,849 figures on with her 4 11 13 15 year olds 776 00:40:51,609 --> 00:40:58,089 a decline in the incidence of bullying a 777 00:40:54,849 --> 00:41:00,730 decline in the incidence of fighting the 778 00:40:58,089 --> 00:41:04,540 decline in drunkenness a decline in 779 00:41:00,730 --> 00:41:09,819 cannabis use decline even in being 780 00:41:04,540 --> 00:41:16,030 overweight apparently and eighty-six 781 00:41:09,819 --> 00:41:18,130 percent asked to rate their lives gave a 782 00:41:16,030 --> 00:41:21,700 pretty positive version there's another 783 00:41:18,130 --> 00:41:23,290 survey of this the 2006 youth survey of 784 00:41:21,700 --> 00:41:26,950 the british household panel survey 785 00:41:23,290 --> 00:41:29,450 showed eighty-seven percent of 11 to 16 786 00:41:26,950 --> 00:41:33,010 year olds rating their life 787 00:41:29,450 --> 00:41:37,430 the whole as happy rather than unhappy 788 00:41:33,010 --> 00:41:42,920 nine percent were neutral and only four 789 00:41:37,430 --> 00:41:45,050 percent unhappy moving beyond the 790 00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,660 question of the truth or otherwise of 791 00:41:45,050 --> 00:41:52,089 the narratives what are the implications 792 00:41:47,660 --> 00:41:54,619 of having narratives of this kind at all 793 00:41:52,089 --> 00:41:57,530 in essence it seems to me the new 794 00:41:54,619 --> 00:42:02,000 narrative the negative one is as much 795 00:41:57,530 --> 00:42:04,250 infected by romanticism as the old at 796 00:42:02,000 --> 00:42:07,180 its heart lies a belief in the 797 00:42:04,250 --> 00:42:09,470 desirability of the separation and 798 00:42:07,180 --> 00:42:13,250 distinctiveness of adulthood and 799 00:42:09,470 --> 00:42:15,740 childhood this suggests to me that the 800 00:42:13,250 --> 00:42:19,099 power of the narratives as much if not 801 00:42:15,740 --> 00:42:22,099 more to do with adulthood as it does 802 00:42:19,099 --> 00:42:25,760 with childhood I don't want to explore 803 00:42:22,099 --> 00:42:29,030 this little further a few years ago I 804 00:42:25,760 --> 00:42:31,070 spent some time on an assessment panel 805 00:42:29,030 --> 00:42:32,990 set up by the then department of 806 00:42:31,070 --> 00:42:35,720 children schools and families by PI had 807 00:42:32,990 --> 00:42:37,790 balls to look at the impact of the 808 00:42:35,720 --> 00:42:40,730 commercial world on children's 809 00:42:37,790 --> 00:42:43,339 well-being and we were asked to compare 810 00:42:40,730 --> 00:42:46,099 the present with the past over the past 811 00:42:43,339 --> 00:42:47,450 50 years I was there as a historian was 812 00:42:46,099 --> 00:42:50,329 supposed to know that the answer to that 813 00:42:47,450 --> 00:42:52,250 and we are urged to look for positive 814 00:42:50,329 --> 00:42:57,050 benefits of the commercial world as well 815 00:42:52,250 --> 00:42:59,060 as negative ones but of course the panel 816 00:42:57,050 --> 00:43:02,210 had been set up precisely because of 817 00:42:59,060 --> 00:43:05,660 concern about the negative impact the 818 00:43:02,210 --> 00:43:08,650 commercial world and what part of the 819 00:43:05,660 --> 00:43:12,589 world I kept asking myself is not now 820 00:43:08,650 --> 00:43:15,650 commercial is conceived of as an adult 821 00:43:12,589 --> 00:43:18,680 world adults buying and selling as 822 00:43:15,650 --> 00:43:20,990 equals but posed the commercial world 823 00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:22,839 against children and you are likely to 824 00:43:20,990 --> 00:43:25,040 think of advertisers and marketers 825 00:43:22,839 --> 00:43:27,859 manipulating children's innocent and 826 00:43:25,040 --> 00:43:30,230 naive minds children need to be 827 00:43:27,859 --> 00:43:32,000 protected against it if we think of 828 00:43:30,230 --> 00:43:34,130 children as obese if we think of them 829 00:43:32,000 --> 00:43:36,140 constantly searching inappropriate parts 830 00:43:34,130 --> 00:43:38,720 of the internet if we think of them was 831 00:43:36,140 --> 00:43:41,150 prematurely sexualized if were bothered 832 00:43:38,720 --> 00:43:42,390 by pester power the commercial world 833 00:43:41,150 --> 00:43:45,660 surely has much to 834 00:43:42,390 --> 00:43:47,640 answer children we might say have a 835 00:43:45,660 --> 00:43:50,309 right to a life without any of these 836 00:43:47,640 --> 00:43:54,349 things children and I think it's a very 837 00:43:50,309 --> 00:43:59,130 telling world as seen as vulnerable 838 00:43:54,349 --> 00:44:00,750 adults by contrast also Abby's also 839 00:43:59,130 --> 00:44:03,839 searching inappropriate parts of the 840 00:44:00,750 --> 00:44:06,539 internet the whole world sexualized and 841 00:44:03,839 --> 00:44:08,880 arata sized their insatiable desire for 842 00:44:06,539 --> 00:44:11,549 material goods what makes the world go 843 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:15,990 round adults can survive without 844 00:44:11,549 --> 00:44:18,180 protection we probably don't much like 845 00:44:15,990 --> 00:44:21,450 this adult life where perhaps rather 846 00:44:18,180 --> 00:44:24,450 ashamed of it but at least we think we 847 00:44:21,450 --> 00:44:29,730 can spare children from it life is 848 00:44:24,450 --> 00:44:32,069 downhill we often say that childhood has 849 00:44:29,730 --> 00:44:36,839 been shortened that children go up too 850 00:44:32,069 --> 00:44:41,190 quickly to historian this looks nonsense 851 00:44:36,839 --> 00:44:44,910 on the contrary it's been extended it 852 00:44:41,190 --> 00:44:47,400 lasts officially now up to 18 but I 853 00:44:44,910 --> 00:44:49,440 think you would have found very few 854 00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:53,609 people who had thought it lasted much 855 00:44:49,440 --> 00:44:57,779 beyond 10 or perhaps 12 in the 18th 856 00:44:53,609 --> 00:44:59,880 century and one sign of the lengthening 857 00:44:57,779 --> 00:45:03,000 of childhood is the shift in the cash 858 00:44:59,880 --> 00:45:05,880 flow until roughly the mid-twentieth 859 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:08,190 century children typically kept up their 860 00:45:05,880 --> 00:45:11,819 earnings to their mothers who gave them 861 00:45:08,190 --> 00:45:16,980 back something for spends cash flowed 862 00:45:11,819 --> 00:45:18,269 from children to parents would that was 863 00:45:16,980 --> 00:45:19,400 still the case some of you may be 864 00:45:18,269 --> 00:45:23,190 thinking 865 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:26,280 as many of us know to our cost cash now 866 00:45:23,190 --> 00:45:28,770 flows the other way from parents to 867 00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:32,160 children and there seems no age at which 868 00:45:28,770 --> 00:45:34,590 it will or should end if one sign of 869 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:37,500 being an adult is to be financially 870 00:45:34,590 --> 00:45:41,750 independent then children in their 20s 871 00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:44,820 and 30s have yet to attain that status 872 00:45:41,750 --> 00:45:46,830 but if childhood has been extended it 873 00:45:44,820 --> 00:45:49,800 has also been and this will sound a 874 00:45:46,830 --> 00:45:51,750 contradiction shortened we constantly 875 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:54,450 hear of children doing things at an age 876 00:45:51,750 --> 00:45:57,060 much younger than adults now in their 877 00:45:54,450 --> 00:45:58,890 middle age ever did children today may 878 00:45:57,060 --> 00:46:01,740 not be able to cross a road on their own 879 00:45:58,890 --> 00:46:04,650 but they're integrated into a world of 880 00:46:01,740 --> 00:46:08,220 social media fashion and celebrity in 881 00:46:04,650 --> 00:46:10,260 ways older people were not what has 882 00:46:08,220 --> 00:46:12,480 happened is that the boundary fences 883 00:46:10,260 --> 00:46:14,430 between childhood and adulthood those 884 00:46:12,480 --> 00:46:17,150 which postman was so worried about 885 00:46:14,430 --> 00:46:19,380 coming down having deep broken down 886 00:46:17,150 --> 00:46:22,970 so-called adults behave like children 887 00:46:19,380 --> 00:46:26,280 and Beth children behave like adults and 888 00:46:22,970 --> 00:46:28,110 if we ask why this has happened one 889 00:46:26,280 --> 00:46:33,060 answer I think is that the prospect of 890 00:46:28,110 --> 00:46:36,300 adulthood is pretty bleak if you find 891 00:46:33,060 --> 00:46:39,180 work it differed enough then adulthood 892 00:46:36,300 --> 00:46:42,330 means work and we've learned in the last 893 00:46:39,180 --> 00:46:47,310 quarter century of it so that work means 894 00:46:42,330 --> 00:46:50,640 stress for many work means well life 895 00:46:47,310 --> 00:46:54,210 means paid work plus unpaid child care a 896 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:57,990 recipe for even more stress I've heard 897 00:46:54,210 --> 00:47:02,520 many people say i had an idyllic 898 00:46:57,990 --> 00:47:06,300 childhood i never heard anyone say they 899 00:47:02,520 --> 00:47:08,990 are enjoying an idyllic adulthood of 900 00:47:06,300 --> 00:47:12,510 course the dilek childhoods a 901 00:47:08,990 --> 00:47:15,180 constructions made by adults they're 902 00:47:12,510 --> 00:47:19,770 actually pointers to see to how we see 903 00:47:15,180 --> 00:47:21,390 the life course narratives make sense of 904 00:47:19,770 --> 00:47:24,630 the world but they do not necessarily 905 00:47:21,390 --> 00:47:27,480 reflect the world as it is the 906 00:47:24,630 --> 00:47:30,210 narratives I've considered are extremely 907 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:32,300 powerful in effect mindsets 908 00:47:30,210 --> 00:47:35,430 that can incorporate into the story 909 00:47:32,300 --> 00:47:37,740 anything that's thrown at them huge 910 00:47:35,430 --> 00:47:39,930 number of adults in 21st century of 911 00:47:37,740 --> 00:47:43,410 Britain have bought into the negative 912 00:47:39,930 --> 00:47:46,230 narrative and internalized it clinging 913 00:47:43,410 --> 00:47:49,530 onto a romantic and idealized view of 914 00:47:46,230 --> 00:47:51,540 childhood if there are lessons to learn 915 00:47:49,530 --> 00:47:54,060 I think they come from the Scandinavian 916 00:47:51,540 --> 00:47:59,430 countries which no one's surprise do 917 00:47:54,060 --> 00:48:00,510 well in the UNICEF surveys why first it 918 00:47:59,430 --> 00:48:03,470 has something to do with greater 919 00:48:00,510 --> 00:48:07,109 equality if you ask why Britain came 920 00:48:03,470 --> 00:48:09,000 21st in the 2007 it's worth looking at 921 00:48:07,109 --> 00:48:13,710 the country which came 20th which was 922 00:48:09,000 --> 00:48:16,320 the United States the US and Britain are 923 00:48:13,710 --> 00:48:19,220 on almost every count among the two most 924 00:48:16,320 --> 00:48:22,410 unequal societies in the developed world 925 00:48:19,220 --> 00:48:24,390 inequality feeds social exclusion and 926 00:48:22,410 --> 00:48:27,270 damages children's sense of their 927 00:48:24,390 --> 00:48:29,849 well-being and is not only the poor who 928 00:48:27,270 --> 00:48:32,369 suffer from this parents are all too 929 00:48:29,849 --> 00:48:35,099 we're aware of how their children's 930 00:48:32,369 --> 00:48:37,200 future is dependent on school success 931 00:48:35,099 --> 00:48:40,440 and of course convey this to their 932 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:43,980 children we want our children to be 933 00:48:40,440 --> 00:48:48,359 happy perhaps even more we want them to 934 00:48:43,980 --> 00:48:51,359 achieve but second besides being less 935 00:48:48,359 --> 00:48:53,280 unequal scandinavia seems to me has a 936 00:48:51,359 --> 00:48:56,430 rather different view of children than 937 00:48:53,280 --> 00:49:00,690 in britain in britain children are seen 938 00:48:56,430 --> 00:49:03,240 as vulnerable basically deficient in the 939 00:49:00,690 --> 00:49:05,520 qualities and attitudes that would 940 00:49:03,240 --> 00:49:07,820 enable them to survive in the world 941 00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:12,330 without adult supervision and 942 00:49:07,820 --> 00:49:14,730 helicoptering parents in scandinavia the 943 00:49:12,330 --> 00:49:18,480 attitude is more that children are 944 00:49:14,730 --> 00:49:23,540 basically competent and could be trusted 945 00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:26,790 to be sensible encouraging competence 946 00:49:23,540 --> 00:49:30,510 sounds rather unexcited aim for 947 00:49:26,790 --> 00:49:32,450 childhood it is at the opposite pole to 948 00:49:30,510 --> 00:49:35,609 the romantic conception of child 949 00:49:32,450 --> 00:49:38,730 childhood and I think that would be all 950 00:49:35,609 --> 00:49:42,130 to the good it might even mean that the 951 00:49:38,730 --> 00:49:45,819 issue of childhood became less fruit 952 00:49:42,130 --> 00:49:48,450 discussions of it less emotional we 953 00:49:45,819 --> 00:49:53,849 might be able to change the narrative or 954 00:49:48,450 --> 00:49:53,849 even do without one thank