Introduction to History 1080: Growing Up in North America

9 Sept. 2005

1. Course Expectations & Requirements

2. Definitions and concepts:

a. Primary Source:

i. Produced during the time period you are studying

eg, diaries, letters, photos, memoirs, newspapers, government documents

b. Secondary Source:

Scholarly books and articles; written after the time period being discussed

c. Argument:

i. Main idea backed up by evidence; thesis

d. Evidence: specific facts, examples & quotations that support your thesis

e. Childhood (as distinguished from children):

i. Ideology or social construction (created by adults)

ii. an experience

iii. a set of behaviours

f. Children

i. complex human beings: what was it like to be a child in the past?

2. Course Themes

a. Childhood as a Social Construction

i. invention of adolescence; when does childhood end?

ii. role of biology? (brain development, puberty, changing age of menarche)

b. Continuity and change

c. Changing Ideals of Childhood

i. innocent childhood (18^th century)

ii. from economically useful to emotionally priceless child

d. Childhood Ideals ≠ Children’s Realities

e. Diversity of Children’s Experiences

f. Social control vs. children’s agency:

- to what extent do children shape their own lives & to what extent are their lives

controlled by others (parents, teachers, employers, corporations)