HIST 3320: The History of Childhood

Week 5: Medieval and Early Modern Childhood: Problem with Historiography

Tuesday, Sept. 24: 

• Stearns, CWH, Ch. 3, “Childhood in the Postclassical World History”

History of Childhood:

• Phillipe Ariès, Centuries of Childhood, Ch. 2, “The Discovery of Childhood” Ch 2 (BB)
• Anastasia Ulanowicz, Philippe Aries,  https://www.representingchildhood.pitt.edu/pdf/aries.pdf

Recommended:

• Representing Childhood in Medieval England, c. 500-1500 http://www.representingchildhood.pitt.edu/medieval_child.htm
• Childhood in Early Modern England, c. 1500-1700 http://www.representingchildhood.pitt.edu/early_modern_child.htm

Discussion Questions:

• Who was Philip Ariès? Why is he important for our understanding of the modern child? Do you agree with Philip Ariès’ view that “child” is a “modern invention”?
• What are the criticisms against Ariès? Illustrate your answer with suitable examples.

Thursday, Sept. 26: Debating Centuries of Childhood

• John Clarke, “Histories of Childhood” http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/bpl_images/content_store/sample_chapter/ 0631233962/wyse%2002chap01.pdf

Primary Sources:

• Pieter Bruegel ‘s painting, Children’s Games (1560)

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Pieter_Bruegel_d._Ä._041b.jpg/1920px-Pieter_Bruegel_d._Ä._041b.jpg

• Children in Art (national Galleries, Scotland)

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/features/children-art

For authentic images or pictures search ARTSTOR, the most reliable resource for academic and scholarly use: https://www.artstor.org

Recommended

• Sarah Maza, The Kids Aren’t All Right: Historians and the Problem of Childhood, The

American Historical Review, Volume 125, Issue 4, October 2020, Pages 1261–

1285, https://doi.org/10.1093/ahr/rhaa380

Discussion Questions:

• Based on your readings do you notice changes and continuity in children’s lives from the classical to the medieval times?  
• Stearns writes: “A revealing way to assess traditional Western approaches to childhood emerges from comparative analysis (Stearns, 64. Was there anything particularly unusual about premodern Western childhood compared to the patterns in other agricultural civilizations?” How would you corroborate Stearn’s statement from specific examples cited in the text and the primary sources you read? Explore more primary sources beyond the syllabus and share it with the class. 

DB#3 due on Sept. 26 (400-500 words) before class    

What was Phillipe Ariès’ thesis about modern childhood? Do you agree with his view? Illustrate your answer by drawing on a primary source and the secondary sources from your readings or beyond. Do you think Ariès is important for the history of childhood?