HLTC23H3 Chapter Notes -Neil Postman, The Gutenberg Galaxy, Marshall Mcluhan
Document Summary
Infancy is a biologically driven event with a genetically timed duration. Childhood is a different story it can be longer or shorter depending upon several factors. Infancy= genetically determined period of time; childhood = culturally determined period of time. Greeks had no real world for child in the ancient world they did incent schooling, but children"s lives were precarious. Plato speaks of disciplining children trough threats and blows, like a piece of warped wood (protagoras) Little concept of child as a category separate from adult in the middle ages. The concept of shame (defined culturally, not individually) Children are defined as a class of people who must be sheltered from adult secrets, specifically, sexual secrets. This connects to the general concept of children as a group that requires special. Until then, the practice was acceptable, if the child was deformed, female, or in some other way undesirable.