WEBVTT 00:00:12.490 --> 00:00:19.699 thank you very much well thank you for 00:00:14.629 --> 00:00:22.880 coming out on a wet and travel 00:00:19.699 --> 00:00:25.669 interrupted evening I got on a train at 00:00:22.880 --> 00:00:28.640 fabricon I was told it was going to go 00:00:25.669 --> 00:00:29.779 slow took of the danger of floods and 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:32.780 thought I wouldn't get here but here I 00:00:29.779 --> 00:00:36.440 am and what I want to tell you this 00:00:32.780 --> 00:00:39.730 evening is a story of two narratives 00:00:36.440 --> 00:00:43.600 about childhood once progressive and 00:00:39.730 --> 00:00:50.300 positive and the others depressing and 00:00:43.600 --> 00:00:53.780 negative in 1942 the poet in SCS Sylvia 00:00:50.300 --> 00:00:56.570 Lind admitted that year that we have our 00:00:53.780 --> 00:00:59.120 temporary misfortunes but he was 00:00:56.570 --> 00:01:02.660 confident that the story of English 00:00:59.120 --> 00:01:10.490 children is a story that moves towards a 00:01:02.660 --> 00:01:12.439 happy ending try saying that in 2014 no 00:01:10.490 --> 00:01:14.990 one now imagines that the story of 00:01:12.439 --> 00:01:17.990 English children is moving towards a 00:01:14.990 --> 00:01:20.389 happy ending news reporting of the state 00:01:17.990 --> 00:01:23.840 of childhood is almost uniformly 00:01:20.389 --> 00:01:27.350 negative children we know we learn our 00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:30.289 obese children suffer high rates of 00:01:27.350 --> 00:01:32.719 self-harming and mental illness children 00:01:30.289 --> 00:01:35.929 are described as couch potatoes slumped 00:01:32.719 --> 00:01:39.490 in front of screens children suffer from 00:01:35.929 --> 00:01:42.529 attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 00:01:39.490 --> 00:01:45.170 children are materialistic hooked on 00:01:42.529 --> 00:01:47.450 consumerism an alarming number of 00:01:45.170 --> 00:01:51.529 children's need to be autistic or to 00:01:47.450 --> 00:01:54.020 suffer from dyslexia and since the 1970s 00:01:51.529 --> 00:01:56.929 so research shows the world which 00:01:54.020 --> 00:02:01.819 children explore on their own has shrunk 00:01:56.929 --> 00:02:04.310 by a factor of nine this is not a purely 00:02:01.819 --> 00:02:07.340 British phenomenon but according to what 00:02:04.310 --> 00:02:11.870 we read it's worse in Britain than 00:02:07.340 --> 00:02:15.349 anywhere else when in 2007 UNICEF did a 00:02:11.870 --> 00:02:17.930 survey of children in 21 advanced 00:02:15.349 --> 00:02:22.040 economies you probably know where the 00:02:17.930 --> 00:02:24.680 united kingdom came 21st 00:02:22.040 --> 00:02:26.739 and things don't seem to be getting 00:02:24.680 --> 00:02:30.859 better there was a report last year 00:02:26.739 --> 00:02:33.230 showing that three-quarters of German 00:02:30.859 --> 00:02:36.709 junior school children were allowed to 00:02:33.230 --> 00:02:42.650 travel home from school alone only one 00:02:36.709 --> 00:02:44.989 quarter or British children in 2006 sue 00:02:42.650 --> 00:02:48.319 Palmer published the book called toxic 00:02:44.989 --> 00:02:52.099 childhood our children's he argued are 00:02:48.319 --> 00:02:55.280 being poisoned not only by the food they 00:02:52.099 --> 00:02:57.709 eat and the drink they drink but also by 00:02:55.280 --> 00:03:00.919 the messages they receive and that 00:02:57.709 --> 00:03:06.109 invite them into a world of consumption 00:03:00.919 --> 00:03:10.400 and sexualisation so here are the two 00:03:06.109 --> 00:03:16.120 narratives I want to show how and why 00:03:10.400 --> 00:03:20.599 Sylvia Lynde was so optimistic in 1942 00:03:16.120 --> 00:03:24.970 how that optimism survived for another 00:03:20.599 --> 00:03:28.549 30 years or so after 1942 but then 00:03:24.970 --> 00:03:32.349 collapsed in the early 1970s to be 00:03:28.549 --> 00:03:35.030 succeeded by the negative narrative and 00:03:32.349 --> 00:03:37.549 I want to suggest that the power of 00:03:35.030 --> 00:03:40.459 these narratives is such that they form 00:03:37.549 --> 00:03:43.329 a framework within which we fit 00:03:40.459 --> 00:03:46.669 everything we hear about children and 00:03:43.329 --> 00:03:49.940 childhood further that we go out to look 00:03:46.669 --> 00:03:52.699 for facts which will reinforce the 00:03:49.940 --> 00:03:56.260 narrative so let me start with the 00:03:52.699 --> 00:03:59.659 progressive narrative it's shaped as a 00:03:56.260 --> 00:04:04.400 romance that most basic of human stories 00:03:59.659 --> 00:04:07.030 it starts in the olden times once upon a 00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:10.430 time a historically unspecific period 00:04:07.030 --> 00:04:13.189 when children like adults lived in the 00:04:10.430 --> 00:04:15.190 countryside help their parents around 00:04:13.189 --> 00:04:17.570 the house in the garden on the farm 00:04:15.190 --> 00:04:20.599 gradually taking on more responsible 00:04:17.570 --> 00:04:23.570 roles as they grew older there was no 00:04:20.599 --> 00:04:26.870 great sentimentality about children life 00:04:23.570 --> 00:04:29.409 was too hard and demanding for that they 00:04:26.870 --> 00:04:33.320 were treated so the story claimed as 00:04:29.409 --> 00:04:34.849 little adults though that phrase i think 00:04:33.320 --> 00:04:39.159 is an imposition 00:04:34.849 --> 00:04:43.339 earlier centuries by the 19th century 00:04:39.159 --> 00:04:47.240 neither families nor society were 00:04:43.339 --> 00:04:55.610 child-oriented the life course was 00:04:47.240 --> 00:04:57.309 pictured as a triangle you started at 00:04:55.610 --> 00:05:01.699 the base of the triangle was a baby 00:04:57.309 --> 00:05:06.459 climbed up to the height in middle age 00:05:01.699 --> 00:05:14.749 and then began the descent downwards 00:05:06.459 --> 00:05:18.679 their childhood a Shakespeare described 00:05:14.749 --> 00:05:22.149 it consisted of the infant mewling and 00:05:18.679 --> 00:05:25.939 puking and of the whining schoolboy 00:05:22.149 --> 00:05:28.369 going unwillingly to school the 00:05:25.939 --> 00:05:33.110 childhood years were not as they were to 00:05:28.369 --> 00:05:35.749 become the best years of life this world 00:05:33.110 --> 00:05:38.689 depicted as stable and hardly changing 00:05:35.749 --> 00:05:40.939 was according to the narrative disrupted 00:05:38.689 --> 00:05:44.089 by two forces that came to prominence in 00:05:40.939 --> 00:05:46.819 the late 18th century the first was 00:05:44.089 --> 00:05:50.149 romanticism and the second was the 00:05:46.819 --> 00:05:52.639 Industrial Revolution if we look a 00:05:50.149 --> 00:05:55.279 little bit before romanticism took hold 00:05:52.639 --> 00:05:58.069 I think we could argue until the late 00:05:55.279 --> 00:06:01.909 18th century there were two main modes 00:05:58.069 --> 00:06:04.729 of child-rearing the first strongest 00:06:01.909 --> 00:06:08.329 amongst Puritans saw the baby is born in 00:06:04.729 --> 00:06:11.240 sin the task of parenting was to bring 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:14.899 the child to a consciousness of sin and 00:06:11.240 --> 00:06:16.789 to the means of salvation this was not 00:06:14.899 --> 00:06:21.249 something that could be left to chance 00:06:16.789 --> 00:06:26.979 or time children's lives were fragile 00:06:21.249 --> 00:06:29.749 isaac watts in 1715 in his divine songs 00:06:26.979 --> 00:06:33.079 attempted in easy language for the use 00:06:29.749 --> 00:06:34.939 of children taught children to sing this 00:06:33.079 --> 00:06:38.649 you might just might try and imagine 00:06:34.939 --> 00:06:42.079 yourself aged about six singing this 00:06:38.649 --> 00:06:42.969 there is an hour when I must die nor do 00:06:42.079 --> 00:06:46.029 I know how 00:06:42.969 --> 00:06:49.149 sunt will come a thousand children young 00:06:46.029 --> 00:06:54.549 as I are called by death to hear their 00:06:49.149 --> 00:06:57.549 doom the second mode of child rearing 00:06:54.549 --> 00:07:00.459 strongly influenced by john locke's 1693 00:06:57.549 --> 00:07:02.199 some thoughts concerning education place 00:07:00.459 --> 00:07:04.419 the emphasis on instilling in two 00:07:02.199 --> 00:07:06.489 children habits and thoughts that work 00:07:04.419 --> 00:07:09.999 induced to the emergence of rational 00:07:06.489 --> 00:07:12.759 adults education as far as possible was 00:07:09.999 --> 00:07:16.679 to be made enjoyable but all to the end 00:07:12.759 --> 00:07:19.629 of producing the desired adult 00:07:16.679 --> 00:07:23.049 romanticism in this context was I think 00:07:19.629 --> 00:07:25.629 revolutionary the child moved center 00:07:23.049 --> 00:07:28.509 stage and was far from being painted 00:07:25.629 --> 00:07:32.259 with original sin or as in the Lockean 00:07:28.509 --> 00:07:35.769 view a mere blank slate TIG Blake's 00:07:32.259 --> 00:07:40.869 Blake's songs of innocence he has a two 00:07:35.769 --> 00:07:44.409 day old child talking to his mother I 00:07:40.869 --> 00:07:48.729 have no I there no name I am but two 00:07:44.409 --> 00:07:54.419 days old what shall I call thee I happy 00:07:48.729 --> 00:07:57.639 am joy is my name sweet joy before thee 00:07:54.419 --> 00:07:59.289 now that may sound very obvious and 00:07:57.639 --> 00:08:03.099 simple but it is actually I think a 00:07:59.289 --> 00:08:06.009 totally new way of looking at childhood 00:08:03.099 --> 00:08:07.989 and it had it that is not a very good 00:08:06.009 --> 00:08:10.659 reproduction of a famous picture the age 00:08:07.989 --> 00:08:12.759 of innocence by Joshua Reynolds but this 00:08:10.659 --> 00:08:15.249 became the template from then onwards 00:08:12.759 --> 00:08:18.039 for how you would depict children 00:08:15.249 --> 00:08:23.889 children sitting amidst nature in the 00:08:18.039 --> 00:08:26.860 country innocent Wordsworth in his 00:08:23.889 --> 00:08:29.769 enormous Lorraine influential but 00:08:26.860 --> 00:08:32.229 curiously titled Oh Don intimations of 00:08:29.769 --> 00:08:35.889 immortality from recollections of early 00:08:32.229 --> 00:08:38.198 childhood claimed in a phrase which came 00:08:35.889 --> 00:08:41.490 much mocked later but claimed that 00:08:38.198 --> 00:08:46.569 babies came trailing clouds of glory 00:08:41.490 --> 00:08:49.959 from God with our home children will now 00:08:46.569 --> 00:08:53.200 messengers from God imbued with a 00:08:49.959 --> 00:08:56.890 sensitivity to nature and an in 00:08:53.200 --> 00:09:00.100 on morality they could teach adults how 00:08:56.890 --> 00:09:02.650 to live a good childhood became the 00:09:00.100 --> 00:09:05.560 foundation block for later life but 00:09:02.650 --> 00:09:09.730 growing up in this perspective was a 00:09:05.560 --> 00:09:12.970 process of loss childhood was now seen 00:09:09.730 --> 00:09:18.280 as the best time of life the life course 00:09:12.970 --> 00:09:20.800 thereafter downhill childhood they 00:09:18.280 --> 00:09:23.860 reiterated again and again should be 00:09:20.800 --> 00:09:26.830 happy is an indication of how pervasive 00:09:23.860 --> 00:09:29.800 the influence of Romanticism was that in 00:09:26.830 --> 00:09:32.260 the 1840s Thomas Guthrie a Scottish 00:09:29.800 --> 00:09:35.440 evangelical minister forgetting about 00:09:32.260 --> 00:09:40.570 original sin could proclaim that God 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:43.270 made childhood to be happy and what was 00:09:40.570 --> 00:09:46.510 the kind of trigger for him saying that 00:09:43.270 --> 00:09:48.190 was watching children at play in the 00:09:46.510 --> 00:09:50.680 grassmarket in Edinburgh which was a 00:09:48.190 --> 00:09:54.940 extremely poor part of Edinburgh at that 00:09:50.680 --> 00:09:56.110 time now the other big impact the late 00:09:54.940 --> 00:09:59.380 18th century was the Industrial 00:09:56.110 --> 00:10:02.200 Revolution which itself became 00:09:59.380 --> 00:10:06.640 associated with the exploitation of 00:10:02.200 --> 00:10:09.220 child labor in factories and mines as 00:10:06.640 --> 00:10:12.010 Jael and Barbara Hammond put it in the 00:10:09.220 --> 00:10:13.180 town labourer 1917 I don't think it 00:10:12.010 --> 00:10:15.400 would have been at all controversial 00:10:13.180 --> 00:10:18.400 when they wrote it during the first 00:10:15.400 --> 00:10:21.030 phase of the Industrial Revolution the 00:10:18.400 --> 00:10:24.190 employment of children on a vast scale 00:10:21.030 --> 00:10:29.800 became the most important social feature 00:10:24.190 --> 00:10:33.040 of English life child labor was came to 00:10:29.800 --> 00:10:35.410 be seen as a denial of childhood as the 00:10:33.040 --> 00:10:37.780 romantics imagined it Coleridge for 00:10:35.410 --> 00:10:41.080 example took a leading role in trying to 00:10:37.780 --> 00:10:43.750 end it and we need to sort to get us a 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:46.180 sense of how revolutionary in my view 00:10:43.750 --> 00:10:48.520 this was to look back to what people 00:10:46.180 --> 00:10:52.510 were saying in the late 17th early 18th 00:10:48.520 --> 00:10:56.560 century John Locke had war had wanted 00:10:52.510 --> 00:10:59.320 all children above three whose families 00:10:56.560 --> 00:11:01.420 sought relief from the parish to be sent 00:10:59.320 --> 00:11:02.649 to a working to school a school where 00:11:01.420 --> 00:11:07.420 they would work too 00:11:02.649 --> 00:11:10.540 keep Daniel Defoe rejoiced in reports of 00:11:07.420 --> 00:11:14.490 children of four or five earning their 00:11:10.540 --> 00:11:16.899 own keep in the textile trades 00:11:14.490 --> 00:11:18.670 romanticism in combination with evidence 00:11:16.899 --> 00:11:21.129 of children's working conditions in the 00:11:18.670 --> 00:11:25.209 Industrial Revolution killed such 00:11:21.129 --> 00:11:27.999 notions by the 1830s samuel roberts a 00:11:25.209 --> 00:11:31.149 leading campaigner against the use of 00:11:27.999 --> 00:11:35.649 boys to clean chimneys was describing 00:11:31.149 --> 00:11:39.490 how ever a toiling child death make us 00:11:35.649 --> 00:11:43.420 sad such children it was said were 00:11:39.490 --> 00:11:46.480 children without childhood childhood now 00:11:43.420 --> 00:11:50.649 painted in romantic colors for Sylvia 00:11:46.480 --> 00:11:53.429 Lind in 1942 the story of the industrial 00:11:50.649 --> 00:11:56.740 age is the story of the martyrdom of 00:11:53.429 --> 00:12:00.009 children if the progressive story of 00:11:56.740 --> 00:12:06.069 childhood is a romance the Industrial 00:12:00.009 --> 00:12:09.790 Revolution was the crisis but a romance 00:12:06.069 --> 00:12:14.319 has to have a happy ending fortunately 00:12:09.790 --> 00:12:17.019 for both nation and children rescue was 00:12:14.319 --> 00:12:18.399 at hand in the story as it was 00:12:17.019 --> 00:12:21.189 constructed in the second half of the 00:12:18.399 --> 00:12:24.249 19th century philanthropists Lord Ashley 00:12:21.189 --> 00:12:27.069 most prominent took up the cause of the 00:12:24.249 --> 00:12:30.569 children in mines and factories he was 00:12:27.069 --> 00:12:34.899 the biography of 19 26 foot it our 00:12:30.569 --> 00:12:37.749 British Abraham Lincoln the Emancipator 00:12:34.899 --> 00:12:41.589 of industrial England or in another 00:12:37.749 --> 00:12:46.529 phrase the Moses who led the children of 00:12:41.589 --> 00:12:46.529 bondage into their Promised Land the 00:12:46.620 --> 00:12:56.679 Promised Land was in one since childhood 00:12:51.179 --> 00:12:58.839 more mundane Lee it was school Ashley's 00:12:56.679 --> 00:13:01.629 concern stretched beyond working 00:12:58.839 --> 00:13:03.730 children he took up the cause of stewed 00:13:01.629 --> 00:13:05.319 children who were at the forefront of 00:13:03.730 --> 00:13:08.079 public attention in the mid-nineteenth 00:13:05.319 --> 00:13:10.179 century here to school was seen as the 00:13:08.079 --> 00:13:13.059 remedy first in the ragged schools 00:13:10.179 --> 00:13:14.209 pioneered in the 1840s and then in a 00:13:13.059 --> 00:13:17.749 spread of compulsory 00:13:14.209 --> 00:13:20.319 schooling in a late 19th century and 00:13:17.749 --> 00:13:24.050 again we have numerous pictures of 00:13:20.319 --> 00:13:28.189 street children and a street life and of 00:13:24.050 --> 00:13:29.829 here is the rescue in operations feel 00:13:28.189 --> 00:13:33.439 like these are the one of Barnardo's 00:13:29.829 --> 00:13:35.899 faked before and after photos which he 00:13:33.439 --> 00:13:37.490 used the John raise money even dress up 00:13:35.899 --> 00:13:38.509 please you would finally still do it 00:13:37.490 --> 00:13:40.490 that that wasn't pretty miserable 00:13:38.509 --> 00:13:42.829 circumstances but he had a special model 00:13:40.490 --> 00:13:45.350 clothing for them and he made them look 00:13:42.829 --> 00:13:48.170 thoroughly miserable here he is age 14 00:13:45.350 --> 00:13:52.579 photographed before and after and he'd 00:13:48.170 --> 00:13:54.920 been rescued in the story of the rescue 00:13:52.579 --> 00:13:57.439 there was one further element the rescue 00:13:54.920 --> 00:14:01.149 of children from neglect mistreatment 00:13:57.439 --> 00:14:04.850 and abuse by adults here the NSPCC 00:14:01.149 --> 00:14:08.749 founded in 1889 was seen as playing the 00:14:04.850 --> 00:14:11.420 crucial role the NSPCC was supremely 00:14:08.749 --> 00:14:13.850 successful in constructing a version of 00:14:11.420 --> 00:14:16.850 history in which children enjoyed no 00:14:13.850 --> 00:14:21.129 protection under law and it itself until 00:14:16.850 --> 00:14:21.129 it itself provided such protection 00:14:21.339 --> 00:14:26.360 government in harness with 00:14:24.049 --> 00:14:29.839 philanthropists played a crucial role in 00:14:26.360 --> 00:14:32.360 the rescue of children it passed factory 00:14:29.839 --> 00:14:35.110 apps and education acts and what were 00:14:32.360 --> 00:14:39.889 called children's charters is set up 00:14:35.110 --> 00:14:42.860 inspectorate's arnold toynbee who was an 00:14:39.889 --> 00:14:44.990 inspirational figure in setting up the 00:14:42.860 --> 00:14:49.189 notion of the Industrial Revolution as a 00:14:44.990 --> 00:14:51.589 social crisis tremble to think what this 00:14:49.189 --> 00:14:58.249 country would have been but for the 00:14:51.589 --> 00:15:00.589 factory acts romanticism impact and 00:14:58.249 --> 00:15:05.689 resonance I think left three lasting 00:15:00.589 --> 00:15:09.139 legacies first childhood as the best 00:15:05.689 --> 00:15:11.029 time of life should be prolonged the 00:15:09.139 --> 00:15:13.339 raising of the school leaving age was 00:15:11.029 --> 00:15:20.929 the most influential way of doing this 00:15:13.339 --> 00:15:23.449 starting at ten in 1818 now 18 second 00:15:20.929 --> 00:15:27.260 children and adults should as far as 00:15:23.449 --> 00:15:30.590 possible inhabit inhabit separate realms 00:15:27.260 --> 00:15:33.230 the adult world defined as dangerous for 00:15:30.590 --> 00:15:35.990 children special spaces should be 00:15:33.230 --> 00:15:39.860 created for children schools playgrounds 00:15:35.990 --> 00:15:45.080 and adult spaces such as pubs denied 00:15:39.860 --> 00:15:48.710 them and third romanticism provided a 00:15:45.080 --> 00:15:51.500 story a narrative of things getting 00:15:48.710 --> 00:15:54.020 better and we can see that narrative in 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:56.330 place with the reflections on childhood 00:15:54.020 --> 00:16:00.290 offered on the occasion of Queen 00:15:56.330 --> 00:16:02.840 Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897 the 00:16:00.290 --> 00:16:06.440 end of the century and then queen with 00:16:02.840 --> 00:16:10.040 Queen Victoria's death the romance was 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:11.780 now complete children had gone through 00:16:10.040 --> 00:16:15.260 the crisis of the Industrial Revolution 00:16:11.780 --> 00:16:20.050 and been rescued for childhood the 00:16:15.260 --> 00:16:23.060 nation could congratulate itself in 1897 00:16:20.050 --> 00:16:26.990 w clark hall a barrister who worked with 00:16:23.060 --> 00:16:30.500 the NSPCC described how when Victoria 00:16:26.990 --> 00:16:33.190 came to the throne the great juggernaut 00:16:30.500 --> 00:16:36.680 car of unscrupulous commercialism 00:16:33.190 --> 00:16:40.090 private greed and domestic inhumanity 00:16:36.680 --> 00:16:42.590 rolled upon its way with Nanda hinder 00:16:40.090 --> 00:16:44.810 tracing our way back down the dim 00:16:42.590 --> 00:16:47.780 avenues of the years we see the white 00:16:44.810 --> 00:16:52.580 and moldering bones of the child victims 00:16:47.780 --> 00:16:57.260 which is cruel wheels have crushed but 00:16:52.580 --> 00:17:00.860 the juggernaut and now in 1897 been 00:16:57.260 --> 00:17:04.339 halted year by year the number of his 00:17:00.860 --> 00:17:07.730 victims become more few the shouts of 00:17:04.339 --> 00:17:12.800 the happy rescue children more loud and 00:17:07.730 --> 00:17:15.589 more glad happy children themselves led 00:17:12.800 --> 00:17:18.829 the story in the elementary schools they 00:17:15.589 --> 00:17:21.140 sang a song entitled o happy English 00:17:18.829 --> 00:17:22.699 children I found evidence of it both in 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:25.430 Durham and in Kent but haven't been able 00:17:22.699 --> 00:17:27.290 to find the words you can set yourself a 00:17:25.430 --> 00:17:31.220 task of trying to imagine them if you 00:17:27.290 --> 00:17:33.230 in the rest of this talk here is how the 00:17:31.220 --> 00:17:35.810 Scottish Society for the Prevention of 00:17:33.230 --> 00:17:39.350 Cruelty to Children told the story it 00:17:35.810 --> 00:17:43.810 comes from sicky sparrows the magazine 00:17:39.350 --> 00:17:46.340 of the junior branch the League of pity 00:17:43.810 --> 00:17:47.960 sixty years ago when Victoria came to 00:17:46.340 --> 00:17:50.270 the throne the children of a nation were 00:17:47.960 --> 00:17:53.390 in thousands of instances being done to 00:17:50.270 --> 00:17:55.610 death morally and physically in wretched 00:17:53.390 --> 00:17:58.700 homes in which they slowly pined and 00:17:55.610 --> 00:18:01.250 starved to death in factories closely 00:17:58.700 --> 00:18:04.550 confined and set to watching the droning 00:18:01.250 --> 00:18:06.770 turning wheels until released sick and 00:18:04.550 --> 00:18:08.690 faint at night they crept wearily home 00:18:06.770 --> 00:18:11.390 with no heart to rejoice in their 00:18:08.690 --> 00:18:14.030 childhood no thought but to rest and 00:18:11.390 --> 00:18:17.120 were still down in the dark mines 00:18:14.030 --> 00:18:20.300 underground little helpless naked 00:18:17.120 --> 00:18:22.280 children toiled in the coal pits think 00:18:20.300 --> 00:18:24.530 what that must have been new children 00:18:22.280 --> 00:18:28.850 who loved the bright sunshine and the 00:18:24.530 --> 00:18:32.210 green fields but the rescue happened and 00:18:28.850 --> 00:18:35.360 was ongoing since the Queen's accessions 00:18:32.210 --> 00:18:37.370 city's barrows went on a hundred and 00:18:35.360 --> 00:18:40.280 seven acts of parliament have been 00:18:37.370 --> 00:18:43.820 passed relating to child life and child 00:18:40.280 --> 00:18:46.130 suffering and now you happy children 00:18:43.820 --> 00:18:48.260 throughout the length and breadth of 00:18:46.130 --> 00:18:50.990 Scotland we would appeal to you to 00:18:48.260 --> 00:18:53.630 commemorate the glorious 60 years of our 00:18:50.990 --> 00:18:56.270 queen by joining the league of pity and 00:18:53.630 --> 00:18:59.120 so helping to carry on the work for 00:18:56.270 --> 00:19:02.810 suffering children she has done so much 00:18:59.120 --> 00:19:07.850 to further and we can see again in the 00:19:02.810 --> 00:19:11.630 picturing of children the rescue 00:19:07.850 --> 00:19:15.500 achieved this is kate greenaway sillas 00:19:11.630 --> 00:19:19.390 tration of hark hark the dogs do bark 00:19:15.500 --> 00:19:22.550 the beggars have come to town it's set 00:19:19.390 --> 00:19:25.400 curiously in the countryside there's no 00:19:22.550 --> 00:19:27.920 town there there's a farmhouse and the 00:19:25.400 --> 00:19:31.340 beggars us of disappearing into into the 00:19:27.920 --> 00:19:35.350 background up in the foreground the 00:19:31.340 --> 00:19:39.070 child safely protected by 00:19:35.350 --> 00:19:42.240 is a gate and a dog this is how 00:19:39.070 --> 00:19:46.990 childhood should be enclosed and safe 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:49.720 within a garden and here is a picture I 00:19:46.990 --> 00:19:50.950 take more or less a random from a book I 00:19:49.720 --> 00:19:52.660 picked up a few years ago called 00:19:50.950 --> 00:19:54.789 children in art which is one of those 00:19:52.660 --> 00:19:57.490 books like you have them post cards you 00:19:54.789 --> 00:20:00.690 can pull out about 50 of them nearly all 00:19:57.490 --> 00:20:04.480 50 of them for something like this of a 00:20:00.690 --> 00:20:07.299 child sitting in nature surrounded 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:10.000 carefully by animals and this is I think 00:20:07.299 --> 00:20:15.130 from the amount 19 tens or early 00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:17.980 twenties so the story is established I 00:20:15.130 --> 00:20:20.320 think by the turn of 19th 20th century 00:20:17.980 --> 00:20:23.350 and there was no significant threat to 00:20:20.320 --> 00:20:26.799 it in the first half of the 20th century 00:20:23.350 --> 00:20:29.409 rather it became embedded in 1903 the 00:20:26.799 --> 00:20:32.020 author of a standard textbook h2b 00:20:29.409 --> 00:20:35.799 gibbons summarized his account in the 00:20:32.020 --> 00:20:38.380 words only think of the triumph that 00:20:35.799 --> 00:20:43.230 have been won in this generation for the 00:20:38.380 --> 00:20:47.919 children of england won for the century 00:20:43.230 --> 00:20:50.140 2004 and imagine yourself saying that in 00:20:47.919 --> 00:20:52.720 the interwar years the journalists and 00:20:50.140 --> 00:20:59.140 suffragist evilyn sharp described how 00:20:52.720 --> 00:21:02.260 was a young girl in the 1880s sorry she 00:20:59.140 --> 00:21:04.750 had no idea that she stood at the dawn 00:21:02.260 --> 00:21:08.140 of a new age that was going to 00:21:04.750 --> 00:21:11.260 revolutionize all childhood and had done 00:21:08.140 --> 00:21:15.370 so she thought and for the better in 00:21:11.260 --> 00:21:16.929 1813 1930 said George Newman chief 00:21:15.370 --> 00:21:19.539 medical officer in the Ministry of 00:21:16.929 --> 00:21:22.030 Health lecturing to the shafts with 00:21:19.539 --> 00:21:25.539 society a society to commemorate 00:21:22.030 --> 00:21:27.820 Ashley's work could rejoice the one of 00:21:25.539 --> 00:21:32.409 the darkest chapters of our social 00:21:27.820 --> 00:21:36.150 history was over the long and shameful 00:21:32.409 --> 00:21:38.770 story of cruelty and oppression is ended 00:21:36.150 --> 00:21:41.169 children it was frequently said had a 00:21:38.770 --> 00:21:44.290 right to health and happiness and 00:21:41.169 --> 00:21:46.890 increasingly they enjoyed both Sylvia 00:21:44.290 --> 00:21:51.240 Lind celebrated at achievement in 00:21:46.890 --> 00:21:53.880 42 drew gress was not confined to 00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:56.730 Britain the principle behind factory 00:21:53.880 --> 00:21:59.670 legislation claimed Sydney web in 1910 00:21:56.730 --> 00:22:03.330 has spread to every industrial community 00:21:59.670 --> 00:22:08.610 in the old world and the new in the 00:22:03.330 --> 00:22:11.040 1830s people across the world look to 00:22:08.610 --> 00:22:14.550 Britain in horror at his use of child 00:22:11.040 --> 00:22:17.850 labour it had an unenviable not arathi 00:22:14.550 --> 00:22:21.270 shared only by belgium by the early 20th 00:22:17.850 --> 00:22:24.540 century it was priding itself on setting 00:22:21.270 --> 00:22:27.600 the path of progress and a narrative 00:22:24.540 --> 00:22:31.740 kept going I think just about into the 00:22:27.600 --> 00:22:34.400 1970s in both national and international 00:22:31.740 --> 00:22:38.700 level I'll just give you three markers 00:22:34.400 --> 00:22:40.950 in 1973 two very was well-respected 00:22:38.700 --> 00:22:43.200 historians Ivy Pinchbeck and Margaret 00:22:40.950 --> 00:22:45.210 Hewitt published the second of two 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:47.490 volumes on children in English society 00:22:45.210 --> 00:22:49.860 and their second volume started in the 00:22:47.490 --> 00:22:52.920 18th century and they opened with a 00:22:49.860 --> 00:22:56.880 chapter entitled childhood without 00:22:52.920 --> 00:22:59.730 rights and protection children in the 00:22:56.880 --> 00:23:03.240 18th century described as being little 00:22:59.730 --> 00:23:07.020 adults they end the volume in triumph 00:23:03.240 --> 00:23:14.660 with the children act of 1948 it's a 00:23:07.020 --> 00:23:16.800 story of progress that was 1973 1974 00:23:14.660 --> 00:23:20.360 Lloyd the modes were crossing the 00:23:16.800 --> 00:23:22.800 Atlantic here in America edited a 00:23:20.360 --> 00:23:27.810 influential book called the history of 00:23:22.800 --> 00:23:29.970 childhood and he argued that child 00:23:27.810 --> 00:23:32.940 parent-child relations had gone through 00:23:29.970 --> 00:23:36.510 six stages over time these ones I got at 00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:38.640 the bottom here the Infanta sidle mode 00:23:36.510 --> 00:23:41.370 of child rearing was the first the 00:23:38.640 --> 00:23:44.430 abandonment you just leave your child 00:23:41.370 --> 00:23:47.220 out to die the ambivalent the intrusive 00:23:44.430 --> 00:23:49.440 the socialization is getting better and 00:23:47.220 --> 00:23:51.780 finally in the mid 20th century the 00:23:49.440 --> 00:23:54.119 helping mode and what he's arguing is 00:23:51.780 --> 00:23:55.649 that somehow parents of 00:23:54.119 --> 00:23:57.839 got to a stage when they can actually 00:23:55.649 --> 00:24:01.469 understand their children can help them 00:23:57.839 --> 00:24:03.689 and he starts with this famous or 00:24:01.469 --> 00:24:06.209 infamous statement hits the further back 00:24:03.689 --> 00:24:08.999 in history one goes that lower the level 00:24:06.209 --> 00:24:11.699 of childcare the more likely children 00:24:08.999 --> 00:24:16.979 are to be killed abandoned beaten 00:24:11.699 --> 00:24:20.819 terrorized and sexually abused there's 00:24:16.979 --> 00:24:22.859 still optimism and in 1973 also at the 00:24:20.819 --> 00:24:25.619 world level the International Labour 00:24:22.859 --> 00:24:30.239 Organization passed its minimum wage 00:24:25.619 --> 00:24:35.549 convention setting 15 as the age below 00:24:30.239 --> 00:24:38.669 which no child should work very soon 00:24:35.549 --> 00:24:41.189 that began to look not only not 00:24:38.669 --> 00:24:43.319 achievable but perhaps also something 00:24:41.189 --> 00:24:44.699 that it would not be desirable to 00:24:43.319 --> 00:24:47.279 achieve that you might in some 00:24:44.699 --> 00:24:51.959 circumstances be happy to see children 00:24:47.279 --> 00:24:56.999 below 15 working so what happened in the 00:24:51.959 --> 00:24:59.159 1970s and 80s or 1974 saw the first 00:24:56.999 --> 00:25:01.979 sustained attack on the story and what 00:24:59.159 --> 00:25:05.789 it implied for children John halts book 00:25:01.979 --> 00:25:09.929 escaped from childhood childhood said 00:25:05.789 --> 00:25:12.419 halt was portrayed it childhood pub for 00:25:09.929 --> 00:25:15.719 Holt was portrayed as an institution a 00:25:12.419 --> 00:25:17.549 kind of prison with powers to lock the 00:25:15.719 --> 00:25:20.249 young into 18 years or more of 00:25:17.549 --> 00:25:22.649 subservience e independence and make of 00:25:20.249 --> 00:25:26.239 them a mixture of expensive nuisance 00:25:22.649 --> 00:25:30.019 fragile treasure slave and superpet 00:25:26.239 --> 00:25:33.599 childhood he said goes on far too long 00:25:30.019 --> 00:25:36.449 what is both new and bad about modern 00:25:33.599 --> 00:25:40.889 childhood is that childhood are so cut 00:25:36.449 --> 00:25:43.439 off from the adult world this was the 00:25:40.889 --> 00:25:45.569 first frontal assault on the image of 00:25:43.439 --> 00:25:47.579 childhood that had been built up in the 00:25:45.569 --> 00:25:51.809 19th in the first three quarters of the 00:25:47.579 --> 00:25:53.609 20th century but it would be naive I 00:25:51.809 --> 00:25:55.919 think to place too much emphasis on 00:25:53.609 --> 00:25:58.229 haltingly short-lived movements for 00:25:55.919 --> 00:26:01.859 child liberation which was some extent 00:25:58.229 --> 00:26:03.869 inspired by him larger factors were 00:26:01.859 --> 00:26:06.659 involved in the dismantling of the 00:26:03.869 --> 00:26:07.740 progressive narrative narrative and its 00:26:06.659 --> 00:26:10.650 replacement 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:13.710 by the one we know today and at route 00:26:10.650 --> 00:26:19.470 they had little directly to do with 00:26:13.710 --> 00:26:22.440 childhood the oil crisis of 1973 seems 00:26:19.470 --> 00:26:24.780 to me the great turning point in the 00:26:22.440 --> 00:26:28.710 history of the post-war world in the 00:26:24.780 --> 00:26:32.280 West the moment when optimism about the 00:26:28.710 --> 00:26:33.990 future shriveled it opened the way to 00:26:32.280 --> 00:26:36.500 what initially was called the 00:26:33.990 --> 00:26:39.630 reaganomics what has come to be called 00:26:36.500 --> 00:26:41.880 neoliberalism the belief in the justice 00:26:39.630 --> 00:26:44.820 and virtue of the market and the 00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:49.110 demonization of welfare states as a drag 00:26:44.820 --> 00:26:51.630 on economic progress and the impact of 00:26:49.110 --> 00:26:55.530 these developments on children was 00:26:51.630 --> 00:26:57.990 dramatic in Britain in the 1980s and 90s 00:26:55.530 --> 00:27:02.309 the proportion of children living in 00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:06.630 poverty rose from one in ten to one in 00:27:02.309 --> 00:27:08.580 three a statistic that led easily into a 00:27:06.630 --> 00:27:11.550 negative narrative that things are 00:27:08.580 --> 00:27:14.130 getting worse in the developing world 00:27:11.550 --> 00:27:17.220 and also in the developed world child 00:27:14.130 --> 00:27:19.050 labor began to increase the facts began 00:27:17.220 --> 00:27:20.520 to impinge on world consciousness 00:27:19.050 --> 00:27:23.070 through the pamphlets published by the 00:27:20.520 --> 00:27:24.720 anti-slavery society between nineteen 00:27:23.070 --> 00:27:26.790 seventy eight and nineteen eighty eight 00:27:24.720 --> 00:27:29.010 but there was also work beginning 00:27:26.790 --> 00:27:33.150 looking at the extent of child labor in 00:27:29.010 --> 00:27:35.540 Britain in the developed world the 00:27:33.150 --> 00:27:37.980 transition from childhood to adulthood 00:27:35.540 --> 00:27:40.200 which in the late sixties and early 00:27:37.980 --> 00:27:42.179 seventies have become concentrated in a 00:27:40.200 --> 00:27:45.450 few short years in the late teens and 00:27:42.179 --> 00:27:48.360 early twenties now stretched out over a 00:27:45.450 --> 00:27:51.660 decade or more this was largely due to 00:27:48.360 --> 00:27:55.710 youth unemployment which has dogged the 00:27:51.660 --> 00:27:57.510 Western world ever since we can see the 00:27:55.710 --> 00:28:00.090 collapse of the old confidence about 00:27:57.510 --> 00:28:02.220 quant constituted the proper childhood 00:28:00.090 --> 00:28:05.330 and about the direction in which society 00:28:02.220 --> 00:28:09.330 was moving taking shape from the early 00:28:05.330 --> 00:28:14.940 1980s and the keynote was now not 00:28:09.330 --> 00:28:17.760 optimism but anxiety within 10 years of 00:28:14.940 --> 00:28:20.550 John Holt's demand for an escape from 00:28:17.760 --> 00:28:24.690 childhood Neil postman 00:28:20.550 --> 00:28:27.990 in 1982 was lamenting the disappearance 00:28:24.690 --> 00:28:29.940 of childhood his was one of a number of 00:28:27.990 --> 00:28:33.420 books published around that time and 00:28:29.940 --> 00:28:36.000 many sins arguing that the barriers that 00:28:33.420 --> 00:28:39.180 probably properly existed between 00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:42.690 childhood and adulthood were being 00:28:39.180 --> 00:28:46.680 dangerously lowered children were 00:28:42.690 --> 00:28:49.290 ceasing to be children postman had many 00:28:46.680 --> 00:28:51.750 successes in laments about the 00:28:49.290 --> 00:28:55.440 undermining of childhood and in 00:28:51.750 --> 00:28:59.400 campaigns to hold on to it or to bring 00:28:55.440 --> 00:29:04.140 it back at a quite different level of 00:28:59.400 --> 00:29:05.790 that of academic history in 1983 Linda 00:29:04.140 --> 00:29:07.820 Pollack published a book called 00:29:05.790 --> 00:29:12.630 Forgotten children parent-child 00:29:07.820 --> 00:29:16.260 relations from 1500 to 1900 and this 00:29:12.630 --> 00:29:17.640 marker really big change in the view of 00:29:16.260 --> 00:29:20.510 the past which would generally gone 00:29:17.640 --> 00:29:24.390 along with the optimistic narrative 00:29:20.510 --> 00:29:27.060 Pollock ruthlessly dismantled the 00:29:24.390 --> 00:29:30.930 progressive narrative far from being a 00:29:27.060 --> 00:29:34.230 hell she said the past was now a country 00:29:30.930 --> 00:29:36.900 where parents had always done the best 00:29:34.230 --> 00:29:40.590 for their children Pollock rigorously 00:29:36.900 --> 00:29:43.320 avoided nostalgia but parents reading it 00:29:40.590 --> 00:29:46.620 in later twentieth-century membra 00:29:43.320 --> 00:29:49.290 Pollock stopped in 1900 might well 00:29:46.620 --> 00:29:53.450 wonder whether 20th century parents were 00:29:49.290 --> 00:29:56.610 doing as well as their forebears 00:29:53.450 --> 00:29:59.760 coinciding with this economic historians 00:29:56.610 --> 00:30:02.100 were dismantling and questioning the 00:29:59.760 --> 00:30:04.110 Industrial Revolution first of all they 00:30:02.100 --> 00:30:06.810 they took away the capital letters and 00:30:04.110 --> 00:30:08.190 then they began to question it all 00:30:06.810 --> 00:30:11.760 together and began to talk about 00:30:08.190 --> 00:30:14.400 evolution and more significant for our 00:30:11.760 --> 00:30:17.430 purposes they quietly dropped child 00:30:14.400 --> 00:30:20.130 labor from his previous simple position 00:30:17.430 --> 00:30:22.860 both in academic history and in the 00:30:20.130 --> 00:30:25.350 progressive narrative and without child 00:30:22.860 --> 00:30:27.510 labor the progressive narrative was 00:30:25.350 --> 00:30:29.820 undermined from within 00:30:27.510 --> 00:30:32.070 many ways i think it was child labour 00:30:29.820 --> 00:30:34.680 the crisis which had brought the 00:30:32.070 --> 00:30:38.400 childhood and the rescue which was then 00:30:34.680 --> 00:30:43.860 described which set the framework for 00:30:38.400 --> 00:30:46.650 the progressive one and so they began to 00:30:43.860 --> 00:30:49.500 emerge a new narrative and it's one 00:30:46.650 --> 00:30:53.520 which people of my generation love to 00:30:49.500 --> 00:30:55.560 tell we were taught the progressive 00:30:53.520 --> 00:30:59.040 narrative and we've seen it 00:30:55.560 --> 00:31:00.840 disintegrates our story begins with our 00:30:59.040 --> 00:31:02.910 own childhoods in the middle years of 00:31:00.840 --> 00:31:06.150 the 20th century and ends in the present 00:31:02.910 --> 00:31:08.430 in our childhoods we say we had freedom 00:31:06.150 --> 00:31:10.650 to explore our world without constant 00:31:08.430 --> 00:31:13.080 adult supervision depending on our 00:31:10.650 --> 00:31:15.120 social background and where we lived our 00:31:13.080 --> 00:31:16.800 mothers might turn us out of doors after 00:31:15.120 --> 00:31:19.770 breakfast and tell us not to come back 00:31:16.800 --> 00:31:22.260 until teatime or we might have the 00:31:19.770 --> 00:31:24.300 freedom to roam the countryside the kind 00:31:22.260 --> 00:31:27.600 of Arthur Ransome swallows and amazons 00:31:24.300 --> 00:31:30.720 charlton no one talked about health and 00:31:27.600 --> 00:31:33.930 safety or about risk assessment autism 00:31:30.720 --> 00:31:36.540 dyslexia self-harming attention deficit 00:31:33.930 --> 00:31:38.880 hyperactivity disorder eating disorders 00:31:36.540 --> 00:31:41.520 the things parents and children worried 00:31:38.880 --> 00:31:44.310 about now none of these featured in our 00:31:41.520 --> 00:31:47.970 lives as far as we knew in those of our 00:31:44.310 --> 00:31:51.590 parents in these childhoods it's always 00:31:47.970 --> 00:31:54.570 summer time we had scrapes and box 00:31:51.590 --> 00:31:57.150 probably some old man sad old man and a 00:31:54.570 --> 00:32:01.050 MAF exposed himself to us but we took 00:31:57.150 --> 00:32:02.850 this in our stride I sometimes think we 00:32:01.050 --> 00:32:05.130 ought to factor in boredom into these 00:32:02.850 --> 00:32:07.290 stories of our childhood but even that 00:32:05.130 --> 00:32:10.080 wouldn't alter the overall conclusion 00:32:07.290 --> 00:32:14.850 our childhoods were happy they were 00:32:10.080 --> 00:32:16.590 proper childhoods I've come to associate 00:32:14.850 --> 00:32:22.080 this pessimistic narrative with the 00:32:16.590 --> 00:32:24.120 Daily Mail in 2006 I was asked to write 00:32:22.080 --> 00:32:26.670 something for the Daily Mail on the 00:32:24.120 --> 00:32:28.440 history of childhood a new opportunity 00:32:26.670 --> 00:32:32.430 of an academic historian to reach her 00:32:28.440 --> 00:32:34.920 new leadership at about one pound a word 00:32:32.430 --> 00:32:36.330 with two thousand words to play with it 00:32:34.920 --> 00:32:40.340 was an offer that was difficult to 00:32:36.330 --> 00:32:43.400 refuse but I was told 00:32:40.340 --> 00:32:46.909 little or some way into writing this 00:32:43.400 --> 00:32:50.000 thing Paul Dacre would take a particular 00:32:46.909 --> 00:32:51.950 interest in what I wrote and unless I 00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:57.190 could show that childhood have got worse 00:32:51.950 --> 00:33:01.730 since the 1950s he wouldn't publish it I 00:32:57.190 --> 00:33:07.760 did my best but not enough it was 00:33:01.730 --> 00:33:10.510 archived no I look back on it I think 00:33:07.760 --> 00:33:14.000 some ways Paul Dacre was quite right he 00:33:10.510 --> 00:33:16.549 knew exactly what his readers wanted to 00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:20.000 hear they wanted to have their story 00:33:16.549 --> 00:33:24.529 confirmed and I was trying to challenge 00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:27.440 it it could be said that this negative 00:33:24.529 --> 00:33:29.559 narrative has such a hold on us is 00:33:27.440 --> 00:33:33.559 actually quite difficult to find any 00:33:29.559 --> 00:33:35.960 space in which to challenge it few of us 00:33:33.559 --> 00:33:38.330 here would probably wish to be thought 00:33:35.960 --> 00:33:41.120 to have a daily male version of 00:33:38.330 --> 00:33:45.860 childhood that in essence i think is 00:33:41.120 --> 00:33:48.020 what many of us have the pessimistic 00:33:45.860 --> 00:33:51.919 narrative gains much of its potency from 00:33:48.020 --> 00:33:55.240 names the names of children who died 00:33:51.919 --> 00:33:59.720 through neglect or been murdered or 00:33:55.240 --> 00:34:03.169 abducted maria colwell killed by her 00:33:59.720 --> 00:34:05.960 stepfather in 1973 despite in the last 00:34:03.169 --> 00:34:07.669 nine months of her life 30 complaints 00:34:05.960 --> 00:34:12.440 about the way her mother and step-father 00:34:07.669 --> 00:34:16.089 treaty to Jasmine Beckford starved and 00:34:12.440 --> 00:34:20.050 battered to death in 1984 James Bulger 00:34:16.089 --> 00:34:23.629 murdered by two other children in 1993 00:34:20.050 --> 00:34:27.379 Sarah Payne murdered by a pedophile in 00:34:23.629 --> 00:34:29.869 two thousand Victoria columbia dying of 00:34:27.379 --> 00:34:32.980 hypothermia in two thousand after months 00:34:29.869 --> 00:34:38.119 of neglect and abuse madeleine mccann 00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:41.929 abducted in 2007 Peter Connolly baby p 00:34:38.119 --> 00:34:46.520 dying in 2007 after neglect by his 00:34:41.929 --> 00:34:50.010 mother and her boyfriend you can add to 00:34:46.520 --> 00:34:53.560 the ghastly roll call and it goes on 00:34:50.010 --> 00:34:56.980 in the negative narrative the world now 00:34:53.560 --> 00:35:02.620 is far from being a safe place for 00:34:56.980 --> 00:35:05.740 children in home street school in the 00:35:02.620 --> 00:35:07.720 institutions often called homes where 00:35:05.740 --> 00:35:12.660 some children have lived many of them 00:35:07.720 --> 00:35:16.270 church-run in the BBC or in hospital a 00:35:12.660 --> 00:35:20.220 story tells us there is danger for 00:35:16.270 --> 00:35:23.290 children so there are the two narratives 00:35:20.220 --> 00:35:27.790 the most obvious question to ask of them 00:35:23.290 --> 00:35:29.770 is are they true I make some attempt to 00:35:27.790 --> 00:35:31.630 answer that but I want also to consider 00:35:29.770 --> 00:35:34.870 the implications of narratives of the 00:35:31.630 --> 00:35:40.990 kind we have both the childhood and for 00:35:34.870 --> 00:35:43.660 children if we ask are they true the 00:35:40.990 --> 00:35:46.060 answer has to be I think yes and no take 00:35:43.660 --> 00:35:48.700 the progressive narrative it's difficult 00:35:46.060 --> 00:35:51.400 to deny that on key measurements like 00:35:48.700 --> 00:35:54.490 life expectancy health standard living 00:35:51.400 --> 00:35:59.110 level of education it was indeed a story 00:35:54.490 --> 00:36:01.990 of progress even on these issue has 00:35:59.110 --> 00:36:04.900 however there was a degree of over 00:36:01.990 --> 00:36:07.330 aching Sir George Newman whom we 00:36:04.900 --> 00:36:10.300 encountered earlier went to great 00:36:07.330 --> 00:36:12.010 lengths to deny evidence of children's 00:36:10.300 --> 00:36:16.300 poor health in the northeast of England 00:36:12.010 --> 00:36:20.230 in the into warriors similarly the Home 00:36:16.300 --> 00:36:22.420 Office consistently downplayed the 00:36:20.230 --> 00:36:24.850 existence of child labour continuing 00:36:22.420 --> 00:36:29.080 child labour in the first half of the 00:36:24.850 --> 00:36:30.880 20th century it's when we widened the 00:36:29.080 --> 00:36:32.950 focus to look at some of the policies 00:36:30.880 --> 00:36:35.200 set in place for the rescue of children 00:36:32.950 --> 00:36:40.000 that the progressive story begins 00:36:35.200 --> 00:36:44.170 seriously defray the NSPCC version of 00:36:40.000 --> 00:36:47.410 history was I'm afraid false there's now 00:36:44.170 --> 00:36:49.540 a lot of evidence that the world's 00:36:47.410 --> 00:36:52.330 protection for children in law before 00:36:49.540 --> 00:36:57.970 the NSPCC this give you one bit of it 00:36:52.330 --> 00:37:03.640 the times between 1785 and 1860 I before 00:36:57.970 --> 00:37:07.990 the NSPCC reported 385 case 00:37:03.640 --> 00:37:11.170 of child neglect and sexual abuse only 00:37:07.990 --> 00:37:14.140 seven percent resulting in a not guilty 00:37:11.170 --> 00:37:16.180 verdict there is considerable evidence 00:37:14.140 --> 00:37:18.190 of neighborhood sanctions against 00:37:16.180 --> 00:37:21.850 parents who were perceived to be cruel 00:37:18.190 --> 00:37:23.320 one magistrate in the 1820s finding 00:37:21.850 --> 00:37:25.360 there was insufficient evidence to 00:37:23.320 --> 00:37:27.970 convict someone was up before him for 00:37:25.360 --> 00:37:30.700 cruelty and abuse looked up into the 00:37:27.970 --> 00:37:33.550 gallery of the court and said I'm sure 00:37:30.700 --> 00:37:40.060 you'll know what to do when he leaves 00:37:33.550 --> 00:37:43.300 the dock and he was attacked but all 00:37:40.060 --> 00:37:46.060 this was forgotten as a NSPCC version of 00:37:43.300 --> 00:37:49.120 history took root there were further 00:37:46.060 --> 00:37:51.850 problems with the rescue narrative for 00:37:49.120 --> 00:37:54.970 many children being rescued meant living 00:37:51.850 --> 00:37:57.970 in an institution and we have become 00:37:54.970 --> 00:38:01.780 very aware of the inhumanity that can 00:37:57.970 --> 00:38:02.950 reside in institutions other rescue 00:38:01.780 --> 00:38:05.920 policies were more far-reaching 00:38:02.950 --> 00:38:08.820 especially the immigration of children 00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:11.200 overseas to Canada and then to Australia 00:38:08.820 --> 00:38:13.000 there might be good intentions behind 00:38:11.200 --> 00:38:15.610 some of these policies but that does not 00:38:13.000 --> 00:38:17.860 defend them against accusations that 00:38:15.610 --> 00:38:21.360 they seriously infringe the rights of 00:38:17.860 --> 00:38:24.820 those children who were emigrated in 00:38:21.360 --> 00:38:27.910 short the invocation to children to be 00:38:24.820 --> 00:38:31.360 happy to acquire is evil in sharp-edged 00:38:27.910 --> 00:38:34.540 the habit of happiness was asking a lot 00:38:31.360 --> 00:38:38.770 of children who experienced nothing that 00:38:34.540 --> 00:38:41.140 might make them happy as to the negative 00:38:38.770 --> 00:38:44.470 narrative there is a gain much truth in 00:38:41.140 --> 00:38:47.890 it but the negative narrative too has 00:38:44.470 --> 00:38:50.410 been built on some shaky foundations the 00:38:47.890 --> 00:38:53.110 thing that strikes me most about much of 00:38:50.410 --> 00:38:56.290 the so-called evidence is a very basic 00:38:53.110 --> 00:38:59.020 confusion between a correlation and a 00:38:56.290 --> 00:39:01.270 calls just to give you an example 00:38:59.020 --> 00:39:04.840 children who watch a lot of television 00:39:01.270 --> 00:39:08.410 are rated more materialistic than those 00:39:04.840 --> 00:39:10.570 who watch less but you can't jump from 00:39:08.410 --> 00:39:13.450 the correlation to say that it's 00:39:10.570 --> 00:39:16.240 watching too much television that makes 00:39:13.450 --> 00:39:16.450 them more materialistic it might equally 00:39:16.240 --> 00:39:19.180 wear 00:39:16.450 --> 00:39:22.869 be the other way around or there might 00:39:19.180 --> 00:39:24.339 be other factors involved and in many 00:39:22.869 --> 00:39:26.290 cases of this which come up in the 00:39:24.339 --> 00:39:28.930 research that's been done people almost 00:39:26.290 --> 00:39:32.200 know the answers to the research before 00:39:28.930 --> 00:39:36.160 they started and how interesting i think 00:39:32.200 --> 00:39:38.349 that materialism which you might say is 00:39:36.160 --> 00:39:40.960 at the heart of politicians appeal to 00:39:38.349 --> 00:39:46.000 the adult public is thought to be quite 00:39:40.960 --> 00:39:50.770 unacceptable for children so are there 00:39:46.000 --> 00:39:54.430 any reasons to be cheerful well when 00:39:50.770 --> 00:39:56.349 unicef in 2013 published the further 00:39:54.430 --> 00:39:58.510 study of children's well-being in the 00:39:56.349 --> 00:40:00.579 richer countries the headlines and 00:39:58.510 --> 00:40:03.820 articles had in some sense been written 00:40:00.579 --> 00:40:07.270 before the report emerged we knew it 00:40:03.820 --> 00:40:11.140 would be bad news the negative narrative 00:40:07.270 --> 00:40:14.369 demanded that it was in fact even on the 00:40:11.140 --> 00:40:17.859 most cursory looks better news than in 00:40:14.369 --> 00:40:21.010 2007 britain had climbed out of bottom 00:40:17.859 --> 00:40:25.240 place and was now 16th out of 29 00:40:21.010 --> 00:40:27.910 countries but while grudgingly accepted 00:40:25.240 --> 00:40:30.910 accepting this most reporting 00:40:27.910 --> 00:40:33.960 highlighted the negative you wouldn't 00:40:30.910 --> 00:40:37.630 have known that the report showed 00:40:33.960 --> 00:40:40.630 improvement as i've shown here a decline 00:40:37.630 --> 00:40:42.010 in infant mortality decline we're 00:40:40.630 --> 00:40:44.980 talking about the first decade of the 00:40:42.010 --> 00:40:47.950 21st century a decline in child poverty 00:40:44.980 --> 00:40:51.609 levels and then from decent from these 00:40:47.950 --> 00:40:54.849 figures on with her 4 11 13 15 year olds 00:40:51.609 --> 00:40:58.089 a decline in the incidence of bullying a 00:40:54.849 --> 00:41:00.730 decline in the incidence of fighting the 00:40:58.089 --> 00:41:04.540 decline in drunkenness a decline in 00:41:00.730 --> 00:41:09.819 cannabis use decline even in being 00:41:04.540 --> 00:41:16.030 overweight apparently and eighty-six 00:41:09.819 --> 00:41:18.130 percent asked to rate their lives gave a 00:41:16.030 --> 00:41:21.700 pretty positive version there's another 00:41:18.130 --> 00:41:23.290 survey of this the 2006 youth survey of 00:41:21.700 --> 00:41:26.950 the british household panel survey 00:41:23.290 --> 00:41:29.450 showed eighty-seven percent of 11 to 16 00:41:26.950 --> 00:41:33.010 year olds rating their life 00:41:29.450 --> 00:41:37.430 the whole as happy rather than unhappy 00:41:33.010 --> 00:41:42.920 nine percent were neutral and only four 00:41:37.430 --> 00:41:45.050 percent unhappy moving beyond the 00:41:42.920 --> 00:41:47.660 question of the truth or otherwise of 00:41:45.050 --> 00:41:52.089 the narratives what are the implications 00:41:47.660 --> 00:41:54.619 of having narratives of this kind at all 00:41:52.089 --> 00:41:57.530 in essence it seems to me the new 00:41:54.619 --> 00:42:02.000 narrative the negative one is as much 00:41:57.530 --> 00:42:04.250 infected by romanticism as the old at 00:42:02.000 --> 00:42:07.180 its heart lies a belief in the 00:42:04.250 --> 00:42:09.470 desirability of the separation and 00:42:07.180 --> 00:42:13.250 distinctiveness of adulthood and 00:42:09.470 --> 00:42:15.740 childhood this suggests to me that the 00:42:13.250 --> 00:42:19.099 power of the narratives as much if not 00:42:15.740 --> 00:42:22.099 more to do with adulthood as it does 00:42:19.099 --> 00:42:25.760 with childhood I don't want to explore 00:42:22.099 --> 00:42:29.030 this little further a few years ago I 00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:31.070 spent some time on an assessment panel 00:42:29.030 --> 00:42:32.990 set up by the then department of 00:42:31.070 --> 00:42:35.720 children schools and families by PI had 00:42:32.990 --> 00:42:37.790 balls to look at the impact of the 00:42:35.720 --> 00:42:40.730 commercial world on children's 00:42:37.790 --> 00:42:43.339 well-being and we were asked to compare 00:42:40.730 --> 00:42:46.099 the present with the past over the past 00:42:43.339 --> 00:42:47.450 50 years I was there as a historian was 00:42:46.099 --> 00:42:50.329 supposed to know that the answer to that 00:42:47.450 --> 00:42:52.250 and we are urged to look for positive 00:42:50.329 --> 00:42:57.050 benefits of the commercial world as well 00:42:52.250 --> 00:42:59.060 as negative ones but of course the panel 00:42:57.050 --> 00:43:02.210 had been set up precisely because of 00:42:59.060 --> 00:43:05.660 concern about the negative impact the 00:43:02.210 --> 00:43:08.650 commercial world and what part of the 00:43:05.660 --> 00:43:12.589 world I kept asking myself is not now 00:43:08.650 --> 00:43:15.650 commercial is conceived of as an adult 00:43:12.589 --> 00:43:18.680 world adults buying and selling as 00:43:15.650 --> 00:43:20.990 equals but posed the commercial world 00:43:18.680 --> 00:43:22.839 against children and you are likely to 00:43:20.990 --> 00:43:25.040 think of advertisers and marketers 00:43:22.839 --> 00:43:27.859 manipulating children's innocent and 00:43:25.040 --> 00:43:30.230 naive minds children need to be 00:43:27.859 --> 00:43:32.000 protected against it if we think of 00:43:30.230 --> 00:43:34.130 children as obese if we think of them 00:43:32.000 --> 00:43:36.140 constantly searching inappropriate parts 00:43:34.130 --> 00:43:38.720 of the internet if we think of them was 00:43:36.140 --> 00:43:41.150 prematurely sexualized if were bothered 00:43:38.720 --> 00:43:42.390 by pester power the commercial world 00:43:41.150 --> 00:43:45.660 surely has much to 00:43:42.390 --> 00:43:47.640 answer children we might say have a 00:43:45.660 --> 00:43:50.309 right to a life without any of these 00:43:47.640 --> 00:43:54.349 things children and I think it's a very 00:43:50.309 --> 00:43:59.130 telling world as seen as vulnerable 00:43:54.349 --> 00:44:00.750 adults by contrast also Abby's also 00:43:59.130 --> 00:44:03.839 searching inappropriate parts of the 00:44:00.750 --> 00:44:06.539 internet the whole world sexualized and 00:44:03.839 --> 00:44:08.880 arata sized their insatiable desire for 00:44:06.539 --> 00:44:11.549 material goods what makes the world go 00:44:08.880 --> 00:44:15.990 round adults can survive without 00:44:11.549 --> 00:44:18.180 protection we probably don't much like 00:44:15.990 --> 00:44:21.450 this adult life where perhaps rather 00:44:18.180 --> 00:44:24.450 ashamed of it but at least we think we 00:44:21.450 --> 00:44:29.730 can spare children from it life is 00:44:24.450 --> 00:44:32.069 downhill we often say that childhood has 00:44:29.730 --> 00:44:36.839 been shortened that children go up too 00:44:32.069 --> 00:44:41.190 quickly to historian this looks nonsense 00:44:36.839 --> 00:44:44.910 on the contrary it's been extended it 00:44:41.190 --> 00:44:47.400 lasts officially now up to 18 but I 00:44:44.910 --> 00:44:49.440 think you would have found very few 00:44:47.400 --> 00:44:53.609 people who had thought it lasted much 00:44:49.440 --> 00:44:57.779 beyond 10 or perhaps 12 in the 18th 00:44:53.609 --> 00:44:59.880 century and one sign of the lengthening 00:44:57.779 --> 00:45:03.000 of childhood is the shift in the cash 00:44:59.880 --> 00:45:05.880 flow until roughly the mid-twentieth 00:45:03.000 --> 00:45:08.190 century children typically kept up their 00:45:05.880 --> 00:45:11.819 earnings to their mothers who gave them 00:45:08.190 --> 00:45:16.980 back something for spends cash flowed 00:45:11.819 --> 00:45:18.269 from children to parents would that was 00:45:16.980 --> 00:45:19.400 still the case some of you may be 00:45:18.269 --> 00:45:23.190 thinking 00:45:19.400 --> 00:45:26.280 as many of us know to our cost cash now 00:45:23.190 --> 00:45:28.770 flows the other way from parents to 00:45:26.280 --> 00:45:32.160 children and there seems no age at which 00:45:28.770 --> 00:45:34.590 it will or should end if one sign of 00:45:32.160 --> 00:45:37.500 being an adult is to be financially 00:45:34.590 --> 00:45:41.750 independent then children in their 20s 00:45:37.500 --> 00:45:44.820 and 30s have yet to attain that status 00:45:41.750 --> 00:45:46.830 but if childhood has been extended it 00:45:44.820 --> 00:45:49.800 has also been and this will sound a 00:45:46.830 --> 00:45:51.750 contradiction shortened we constantly 00:45:49.800 --> 00:45:54.450 hear of children doing things at an age 00:45:51.750 --> 00:45:57.060 much younger than adults now in their 00:45:54.450 --> 00:45:58.890 middle age ever did children today may 00:45:57.060 --> 00:46:01.740 not be able to cross a road on their own 00:45:58.890 --> 00:46:04.650 but they're integrated into a world of 00:46:01.740 --> 00:46:08.220 social media fashion and celebrity in 00:46:04.650 --> 00:46:10.260 ways older people were not what has 00:46:08.220 --> 00:46:12.480 happened is that the boundary fences 00:46:10.260 --> 00:46:14.430 between childhood and adulthood those 00:46:12.480 --> 00:46:17.150 which postman was so worried about 00:46:14.430 --> 00:46:19.380 coming down having deep broken down 00:46:17.150 --> 00:46:22.970 so-called adults behave like children 00:46:19.380 --> 00:46:26.280 and Beth children behave like adults and 00:46:22.970 --> 00:46:28.110 if we ask why this has happened one 00:46:26.280 --> 00:46:33.060 answer I think is that the prospect of 00:46:28.110 --> 00:46:36.300 adulthood is pretty bleak if you find 00:46:33.060 --> 00:46:39.180 work it differed enough then adulthood 00:46:36.300 --> 00:46:42.330 means work and we've learned in the last 00:46:39.180 --> 00:46:47.310 quarter century of it so that work means 00:46:42.330 --> 00:46:50.640 stress for many work means well life 00:46:47.310 --> 00:46:54.210 means paid work plus unpaid child care a 00:46:50.640 --> 00:46:57.990 recipe for even more stress I've heard 00:46:54.210 --> 00:47:02.520 many people say i had an idyllic 00:46:57.990 --> 00:47:06.300 childhood i never heard anyone say they 00:47:02.520 --> 00:47:08.990 are enjoying an idyllic adulthood of 00:47:06.300 --> 00:47:12.510 course the dilek childhoods a 00:47:08.990 --> 00:47:15.180 constructions made by adults they're 00:47:12.510 --> 00:47:19.770 actually pointers to see to how we see 00:47:15.180 --> 00:47:21.390 the life course narratives make sense of 00:47:19.770 --> 00:47:24.630 the world but they do not necessarily 00:47:21.390 --> 00:47:27.480 reflect the world as it is the 00:47:24.630 --> 00:47:30.210 narratives I've considered are extremely 00:47:27.480 --> 00:47:32.300 powerful in effect mindsets 00:47:30.210 --> 00:47:35.430 that can incorporate into the story 00:47:32.300 --> 00:47:37.740 anything that's thrown at them huge 00:47:35.430 --> 00:47:39.930 number of adults in 21st century of 00:47:37.740 --> 00:47:43.410 Britain have bought into the negative 00:47:39.930 --> 00:47:46.230 narrative and internalized it clinging 00:47:43.410 --> 00:47:49.530 onto a romantic and idealized view of 00:47:46.230 --> 00:47:51.540 childhood if there are lessons to learn 00:47:49.530 --> 00:47:54.060 I think they come from the Scandinavian 00:47:51.540 --> 00:47:59.430 countries which no one's surprise do 00:47:54.060 --> 00:48:00.510 well in the UNICEF surveys why first it 00:47:59.430 --> 00:48:03.470 has something to do with greater 00:48:00.510 --> 00:48:07.109 equality if you ask why Britain came 00:48:03.470 --> 00:48:09.000 21st in the 2007 it's worth looking at 00:48:07.109 --> 00:48:13.710 the country which came 20th which was 00:48:09.000 --> 00:48:16.320 the United States the US and Britain are 00:48:13.710 --> 00:48:19.220 on almost every count among the two most 00:48:16.320 --> 00:48:22.410 unequal societies in the developed world 00:48:19.220 --> 00:48:24.390 inequality feeds social exclusion and 00:48:22.410 --> 00:48:27.270 damages children's sense of their 00:48:24.390 --> 00:48:29.849 well-being and is not only the poor who 00:48:27.270 --> 00:48:32.369 suffer from this parents are all too 00:48:29.849 --> 00:48:35.099 we're aware of how their children's 00:48:32.369 --> 00:48:37.200 future is dependent on school success 00:48:35.099 --> 00:48:40.440 and of course convey this to their 00:48:37.200 --> 00:48:43.980 children we want our children to be 00:48:40.440 --> 00:48:48.359 happy perhaps even more we want them to 00:48:43.980 --> 00:48:51.359 achieve but second besides being less 00:48:48.359 --> 00:48:53.280 unequal scandinavia seems to me has a 00:48:51.359 --> 00:48:56.430 rather different view of children than 00:48:53.280 --> 00:49:00.690 in britain in britain children are seen 00:48:56.430 --> 00:49:03.240 as vulnerable basically deficient in the 00:49:00.690 --> 00:49:05.520 qualities and attitudes that would 00:49:03.240 --> 00:49:07.820 enable them to survive in the world 00:49:05.520 --> 00:49:12.330 without adult supervision and 00:49:07.820 --> 00:49:14.730 helicoptering parents in scandinavia the 00:49:12.330 --> 00:49:18.480 attitude is more that children are 00:49:14.730 --> 00:49:23.540 basically competent and could be trusted 00:49:18.480 --> 00:49:26.790 to be sensible encouraging competence 00:49:23.540 --> 00:49:30.510 sounds rather unexcited aim for 00:49:26.790 --> 00:49:32.450 childhood it is at the opposite pole to 00:49:30.510 --> 00:49:35.609 the romantic conception of child 00:49:32.450 --> 00:49:38.730 childhood and I think that would be all 00:49:35.609 --> 00:49:42.130 to the good it might even mean that the 00:49:38.730 --> 00:49:45.819 issue of childhood became less fruit 00:49:42.130 --> 00:49:48.450 discussions of it less emotional we 00:49:45.819 --> 00:49:53.849 might be able to change the narrative or 00:49:48.450 --> 00:49:53.849 even do without one thank