Today, in the area of public policy, there is a large concern for family
values and child welfare. The beginnings of these contemporary attitudes can
be found in the Georgian Britain, and in the works of the artists and authors of
the Romantic Period. Prior to the eighteenth century though,
childhood development was an idea about which society had little concern. Although parents loved their children,
they often viewed them as nothing more than little adults.
The years between 1714 and 1830 stand out as marking an era of great change in the area of child development. Society went through a period of reorganization, becoming modernized in ways that we have become accustomed to today. The industrial revolution was beginning, yet domestic life was emphasized as well, and individual goals and achievements were being realized. Family relationships, however, incurred the most significant changes of any area. "...the family came to be based for the first time, on bonds of affection, rather than economics."(from the New Child Exhibit)
Georgian Britain led the way in Europe, to viewing childhood as a special and unique stage in human life. The artists and authors of this period served as observers and recorders, thus actively promoting change in the area of childhood development. The eighteenth century also brought the first chance for art to be publically displayed. This new idea, coupled with the growning popularity of illustrated childrens' books, helped to draw larger audiences into the promotion of childhood development.
Together, works of art and literature "played public and private roles central to the creation of a new view of the child."(New Child Exhibit)
