Should Childhood be seen as an apprenticeship for adult life?

The term ‘apprenticeship’ implies a form of training, whereby a younger, inexperienced individual becomes educated in a particular field. This is achieved through taking part in a period of observing, learning and imitating important skills from a senior exemplary individual in order to develop this skill as their own. Childhood is seen by many as an apprenticeship for adult life, whether this is a fair statement has to be discussed. This essay will discuss the notion of childhood as an apprenticeship, why it is seen in this way and how the learning of skills is important in later life. It will then discuss the negative issues that arise when this concept of an apprenticeship for adult life occurs. The essay will finally look at the belief that there is no apprenticeship for adult life, and that the idea of it is an unfair burden on children. The foremost point of this essay is to look at the arguments of both sides of this view and to analyse both opinions to form a conclusion that childhood can be seen as an apprenticeship for adult life, despite its often negative consequences.

Firstly, the notion of childhood as an apprenticeship for adult life will be discussed as a positive period, which produces competent and well developed adults. The ‘senior exemplary individual’ previously mentioned, is most often a parent or guardian but can sometimes be a sibling, peer or even a teacher. “Parents have always been viewed as being the most appropriate source of guidance and discipline in matters relating to behaviour and morals” (Loreman, 2009). Children require adults as guidance to assist them in learning about society’s norms, values and expectations. During childhood children develop important life skills such as: communication skills and how to think; their subconscious minds are also developed and are greatly influenced by how their parents treat them.

Furthermore, Ideas and views held in childhood tend to stay constant into adult life and experiences, good or bad will also remain. Kohlberg’s theory of moral development (1971, 1976), an important skill required during adulthood, consists of three stages. Kohlberg found that not all of these three stages develop in childhood, and some, only in adulthood. A child’s ability of moral reasoning is only in stage one. This is pre-conventional, and is driven only by the personal consequences of their actions and their own advantage gains. However Hundt (2001) believes that this view is not a fair one and that children develop further morally than Kohlberg suggests. Hundt found that children, when provided with the reorientation and support of an adult, are capable of acting selflessly and in beneficial ways to others. This supports the idea of an ‘apprenticeship’ and that children learn how to behave from influential adults.

Sharon Michaels (2009) argues that in childhood, every child is given a ‘Childhood role’. This role is a special and defined niche within the family unit; the child is loved and praised for remaining in their assigned role. This role will become the child’s identity and personality; it will remain with them into adult life. In adulthood the decisions that are made and the way the individual will behave will often be a reflection of this ‘childhood role’. “Unconsciously it is part of your adult identity” (Sharon Michaels, bellaonline.com 2009). Taking this idea and analysing it more deeply, both the positive and negative effects of ‘role giving’ become evident. If the child is given a positive ‘childhood role’, for example ‘the intellectual one’, the child will strive to do their best to stay within this role, they will feel the need to work hard and put a considerable amount of effort in throughout their education. The child will be praised for these actions which encourage further similar actions and could ultimately lead to an intellectual and successful adult. However, the child may see their role as a burden, and will be frowned upon if they fail to live up to this, this inadvertently could cause the child to feel they have to act a particular way, and this ultimately in adult life will make them see themselves as a failure as they could not withhold their given role. Another negative outcome of this theory is that, if a child is given a negative ‘childhood role’, such as ‘the dumb one’, it could be said that the parents covertly are preparing their child for failure in adult life.