Topic > Analysis of the document "Politics of Childhood, Perspectives from South" by Vasanthi Raman

IndexChildhood in the Western contextChildhood in the Indian contextArticles 28 and 32Vasanthi Raman in her article Politics of Childhood, perspectives from South states that CRC is primarily a discourse Rights of children from the adult point of view. Not only that, but the Eurocentric perspective dominates the entire discussion. The goal of his article is to describe the true South Asian/Indian perspective on childhood. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Childhood in the West is the result of ideological, sociological and demographic changes. Due to the fragmentation of the family as a unit and the fact that the family is just a collection of individuals, childhood is suffering in the West. In India, the study of childhood did not exist until the last decade. Studies have mainly focused on socialization and child psychology, but not enough efforts have been made in the direction of understanding childhood. Childhood in the Western Context Western discourses on childhood speak of the vulnerability of individuals, especially children, due to family breakdown. Childhood is the time when the person needs maximum attention, care and protection which begins in the family and the growth processes intensify with schooling. But the breakup of the family has changed many things and childhood has become a vulnerable period in an individual's life that can lead to traumatic adolescence and adulthood. Childhood in the Indian Context Vasanthi Raman says that childhood in the East is not as difficult as in the Western world. The child is never seen separately; it is always considered as a part of a larger unit which is the family. So the transition from childhood to adulthood is less traumatic and more fluid. In the eastern part of the world there are many types of childhood. there is no universal experience of childhood. India sees a wide variety of types of childhood. It is the result of a complex interaction of historical, social and cultural factors. In the Indian tradition, the Brahmanical worldview for the twice-born castes, does not see the child as an individual, he/she is part of the social order of the Hindu casters. . The child also belongs to the lowest social order. Unlike other lower social orders, children receive special protection and care in society. Boys are preferred over girls and there is no place in society for a girl child and children of lower castes. An exact opposite tradition exists among the Garos, a matrilineal community of Meghalaya. There, the female is preferred to the male and the female is important to the family. The adult-child relationship also varies depending on the context, as in rural areas and in the urban middle class, there is weak differentiation. Children are usually provided a comfortable, satisfying and protected lifestyle by family members in India. There is no clear difference between the world of parents and that of the child. Except for a few tribal communities, children do not have a specific peer group. The peer group they get is their siblings, family friends, neighbors, cousins ​​and at school. With the exception of school, every peer group is closely linked to the child's family. On the other hand, few tribes have tribal youth dormitories where children grow up without much interference from family. They are great for children's socialization and self-regulation. While in Hindu family, social spaces or even personal space are difficult to find for a child. Kashmiri Pandits look back to childhood.