论现代童年概念的内涵、源起与局限

The Concept of Modern Childhood: Connotation Origin and Limitation

现代童年概念最早出现在西方发达工业国家,反映了启蒙运动以来对待儿童及其生活的现代思维方式。现代童年概念强调儿童与成人的区别和对立;建立了童年的线性发展模式;产生了"标准化"的童年样态。现代童年概念源于二分法的现代思维逻辑,受生物学导向的童年研究视角限制,并随着制度化学校教育的发展及现代家庭生活的变化得到巩固。现代童年概念以儿童生理发展的不成熟预测了儿童社会能力的不足,将儿童的生活划定在特定的范围内,使得儿童的社会地位被边缘化,定义童年的权力被成人操控,童年的多样形态被忽略,儿童的声音被埋没。

The concept of modern childhood first appeared in the industrial western countries. It reflects the modern way of thinking about children and their life since the Enlightenment. The concept of modern childhood focuses on the difference and the antagonism between children and adults. It builds up the linear mode of child development and leads to the 'standardized'childhood. The concept of modern childhood derives from the modern logic of dichotomy,which is restricted by the biology-based research perspectives and consolidated by institutionalized schooling and the changing modern family life. Based on the immaturity of children's physical development,the concept predicts the deficiency in children's social skills,which isolates the marginalized child from the adult world. How to define the concept of childhood is dominated by adults,while the diverse morphology of childhood tends to be ignored and the voice of children is not heard.