when was the age of "childhood" set to 18, 21 and why?

Question

historically, who desided what is childhood, when does it begin and ends

Answer 1

that's interesting , because different countries and cultures have their own cutoff age for doing certain things.

actually i think childhood ends about 12 ,where they become adolescents(which basically is practising or apprentice adults) childhood is when they still play with toys and are relatively dependant on their parents.

both mine fit into adolescence, which means that they are accountable for their own actions ,as they have been taught what is expected from them from society. I think they appreciate being seen as young adults ,as they certainly do have the ability to think for themselves, and when we treat them like little kids, we are telling them that their opinions don't count and that they are not capable. ofcourse they still need guidance and rules to keep them safe, but any apprentice has that too.

Answer 2

The notion of a child is historically and culturally conditioned. Exactly how the conception of childhood has changed historically and how conceptions differ across cultures is a matter of scholarly controversy and philosophical interest. Depictions of children in medieval art show that the medievals saw children merely as little adults, even including the baby Jesus. However a man named Shulamith Shahar found evidence that some medieval thinkers understood childhood to be divided into well defined stages. Scholars in different countries at different times have claimed that at the same age some children were animistic in their thinking whilst others were not.

I could go on, at risk of boring you!, but this really is just the start. I've studied childhood speech in depth and it follows along some of the same lines. If you're really that interested then look up the 'Aristotelian Conception' on a search engine, you're sure to get plenty of answers!

Answer 3

It's a culture thing. For the American experience:

At age 18, we had to register for the US military draft. Then, the argument was: if we're old enough to fight, we're old enough to vote. The constitution was amended for that right after 54,000 Americans died in Viet Nam. Many states lowered the drinking age to 18 and then raised it back up.

In Middle Ages Europe, the thinking was the man stopped growing at age 21 which became the standard embodied in English Common Law, which America inherited.

Capital crime, such as trial for murder, was lowered to 16 in many states.

We classify persons having adolescent status so as to learn or teach morality, for whatever that's worth.

Answer 4

I find the age of childhood quite unfair bcos by law when ur 18 ur an adult but when it comes to things like going on holiday and going to a themepark they charge a 12year old and adult fair price which is totally unfair and double standards.

Answer 5

because at eighteen u can prattically do anyfing u wnat
before that u av 2 obey by the rules (five yrs 4 me and counting)

Answer 6

There are various laws relating to age.

Checkout

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/tmbc1/sorted/sorted1.htm

Answer 7

childhood ends when your 16, its then you have to grow up and get get away with been a kid anymore