Our perception of childhood is shaped by the common narratives. Hugh Cunningham exams the narratives, their formation and what we can learn from them: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/whats-happened-to-childhood

Our understanding of childhood is shaped by two narratives. The first describes how children underwent horrific experiences in the factories and mines of the Industrial Revolution, but were then rescued for an increasingly 'healthy and happy' childhood. The second, dominant since the 1970s, tells how childhood is getting worse, becoming 'toxic', the deaths of James Bulger, Victoria Climbie and Baby P evidence for it. How far do these narratives about childhood reflect the reality of the lives of children past and present?

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website: http://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/whats-happened-to-childhood

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