How has our understanding of childhood has a social construction changed?

Our understanding of childhood as a social construction has changed dramatically over the last century. The progression of constructions of childhood has gradually become more complex as increasing numbers of theories have become interconnected with theories of childhood and have become differentiated from theories of adulthood. Through the initial exploration of early paradigms of childhood this essay sets out to portray how contemporary notions of childhoods have developed through intricate patterns of sociological thought and political, cultural and historical influences….(short extract)