answered: For this response paper, you should read The New York Times

  

For this response paper, you should read The New York Times article “Under Pressure” several times, and write about how this article relates to course lecture material and readings to answer the questions below.
“Under Pressure” Article: UNDER PRESSURE_ A Special Report; Even for Sixth Graders, College Looms – The New York Times.pdf
Constructing Childhood
Quote from “Under Pressure” in the NYT:
“What happened to childhood?” asked Ellen S. Schoetzau, 45, Mantua’s principal. “The pressures on children are much greater now than when I was teaching – certainly than when I was in school.”
How would sociologists who study childhood use a social constructionist framework to respond to this quote?
In your short response, you must refer to the following:
Use a quote and explain the argument of one of the following readings: “Childhood in America, Past and Present” by Paula Fass and Mary Ann Mason or “In Search of the Child” by David Buckingham
From the lecture:
the definition of childhood vs children
define and apply the theory of social constructionism
Evaluate the Article
Define the three child subject types (innocent, sick, and anti-social) and provide a specific example of each from The New York Times article. In your own words, what is the argument? Does the author provide convincing evidence to support the argument? Be specific. What could the author do to strengthen their argument? List any counterarguments or contradictions that you think the author should address. In other words, play devil’s advocate. How would the other side view the author’s argument and evidence?
Formatting
The paper should be no less than 4 pages (double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman Font, 1 inch margins) and no more than 6 pages. You do not need to provide a reference list unless you use materials from outside the course. I expect that you will use definitions directly from the Powerpoint lectures and you do not need to cite those definitions. If you cite a course reading, you can simply cite the author’s last name (e.g., Corsaro argued that…).