Week Three: Theoretical Departures: A Crisis in the Postmodern Family?

Week three was by far the most exciting and informative lecture. This week's lecture highlighted the themes of shifting dynamics of childhood in the late twentieth century and early twenty-first century; family life; crisis of the modern childhood and media's role in social change.
Most importantly however, was the viewing of the film"Home Alone."http://www.foxhome.com/homealone/index_frames.html
The video about Kevin McAlister being left home alone is more than a tale of childhood mythology but one that looks at indepth issues that affect society as a whole. First, the movie uncovers the conflict between individules, such as sibilings. Contemporary families when compared to predesors, are often labelled as dysfunctional. The McAlisers would be considered a dysfunctional family mostly due to the fact they left their eight year old child home alone. However, there are many reasons for the shift in famiy life. In economical terms, many parents feel the financial strains of the economic conditions of today such as inflation, taxes and the cost of raising a child. These are a few of the things that make it difficult to have only one parent serving as the bread winner.
The reading by Joe L. Kincheloe however, offers an enflated representation regarding the crisis of childhood. His concern for latchkey children, children with only one parent and even children of families whos parents are not married are of great concern to the author. It is important to study contemporary children and analyse the social conditions that shape family life but it is equally important to approach with an open mind. The author discusses child abondonment in the article, citing the Kevin's mother who calls herself a bad mother, Kincheloe states "social neglect of children has become so commonplace that it could be presented as a comedic motif without raising too many eyebrows. There was a time when childhood was accorded protected status-but that time is growing obsolete, as safety nets disintegrate and child-suports crumble."(34) It is in this statement that i would have to disagree with the opinions of the author, yes marketers are use neglect as the basis of the film which is considered comedic but it does raise concern. I am sure that anyone who has seen the film would be horrified or at least concerned with such actions. In current news, a women in Ontario left her 24month of child home alone to go dancing and returned to find that her baby had died. I believe that everyone that is aware of such an incident would not pass this off but would realize the social implications of the reality of such events. It is here that i believe parenting is a major component and privledge that not all should posesss. There is a need for increased safety nets and child-support but i do not believe that this has completely eroded.
The author also raises the major theme in his article that "after World War II Americans began to realize that childhood was becoming a phases of life distincly separate from adulthood."(35) This idea is overlapped in both the readings and the lecture notes, certifying that this is a major component to the study of children, media and audience.
The reality is children are in fact growing up faster, we live in a period of technological progress that is speeding up the events in a childs life. There is more information being exerted into the minds and lives of these children, whether it be to remember their school notes, make basketball practise or remember codes. The computer has shifted the way in which childhood can be experienced, children learn how to use a computer and even type at an earlier time than their parents. Often children are so versed in technology that they surpass their parents in the knowledge, accesibility and utility of computers. The theme presented here is that children are just as intelligent as adults, Kevin has blurred the generation gap.
This movie also raised the point that children are innocent and honest. Children are free of conflict and bias. Within the video, Kevin learns to adapt on his own terms and when dealing witht he burglars he does his best to become the hero. He realizes the dynamic of power and the legitamacy he holds in such a situation. I suppose Kevin is a postmodern child!
Overall Kincheloe's article does raises certain concerns regarding childhood and the breakdown of traditional roles. However, his viewpoints do stretch at points and he attempts to make statements that are a little sensational and exaggerated.
The second article by Henry Jenkins "Childhood Innocence and Other Modern Myths" looks at the myth of childhood innocence and the emptiness of child as its own political agency. Jenkins raises the point that society see's children as a utopian group, removed from the realities of sexuality, war, conflict and distress. While Jenkins does raise issues such as identity, the value of childhood and children's culture this article again serves as a basis for future readings.
In tutorial, the exercise asked to analyze our family as a system of cultural regualtion indentifying the riles, rituals, and restrictuions on leisure and cultural cosumption. These exercises proved to more informative than once assumed. As a child my parents would buy us toys and things that we wanted if we behaved or worked at achieving them. Listening to the other students allowed for a comparison and contrast model of thought to develop regarding the consumer patterns of parents and children. My parents both stressed the importance of extra-curricular activities and the importance of school yet do not limit the intake of goods we were allowed. It is clear that children are consistently being targeted by marketers and parernts need to be aware of the ways in which advertisers attack their children and conform their minds, beliefs and opinions. For these children are the future and need to be aware of the implications of over-consumption, such as the environmental and financial implications.