Homework No.2

Examine the reasons for changes in the position of children in the last 200 years.

Industrialisation and Policy. In the 16th century, the upper classes sent their children to schools to be educated. In 17th century, the early year of the industrial revolution, child labour was widespread, they and adults worked side by side. Until 19th century, a series of factory acts banned the employment of children in mines and factories. By end of 19th century, elementary state education was compulsory in most European countries. Children were now physically separated from adult setting and had a separate legal status. 1989, Children Act states that " the child`s welfare must be paramount."

The diversity of family.In the early time, nuclear family seems to be the norm that most of people accepted. Most of the children are taken care by their mother.However, the increasing diversity of family have effect on the position of children. The increased divorce rate, there are evidence suggests that children of divorced family have a higher probability of experiencing a range of problem such as poverty, poor housing and behavioural problems, teenage pregnancy and educational under achievement. Only a minority of children actually have a better life after their parents divorced. Lone-parent family where a mother or father live without their partner but live with with their dependent child or children who must be never married and under 16 or 16 to 19 and taking full time education. In the New Right views, the lone-parent family fail to provide adequate socialisation. as most lone-parent family is headed by female, thus in the lone-mother family, the child have on father present to discipline the children and provide a male model. This can lead to anti-social behaviour.Lesbian and gay family. Their children are mostly adopted.Most studies show that children raised by gay and lesbian family are no different from those raised by heterosexuals family.

Social values.The most recent studies shows that the UK has the highest teenage birth rates in Western Europe - twice as high as in Germany, three times as high as in France and six times as high as in the Netherlands.This is a resulted by people`s openness about sex and relationships,low expectations of education and employment opportunities for some young people, ignorance about contraception, and mixed messages about sex from the adult world are all cited.And people do not feel it as shame that become pregnant before marriage or at teen-ages.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4584175.stm

In the 21th century. According to Nick Lee, adulthood has become less stable and more uncertain.In this respects, adults` behaviour are more like a child while children are increasingly seen as having their own rights and interests.