Has the Position of Children Improved?

Has the position of children improved?
Overall this argument has been widely regarded as a strong debating subject as there are many sociologists with many views such as March of progress, Marxists, and feminists that dispute this topic.
One view that considered the position of children has improved is March of progress. They believe that compared to the western societies many years ago, the position has slowly been improving. One of their main arguments that they have proposed is that the society now is very much a child centred one with the family revolving around the children than of what before. This means that more children that have been brought up now are begin brought into family topics such as where they would like to eat for dinner and other decisions that a few decades ago the child would have no say. Sociologists Aries and Shorter contrast this view from many years ago. They believe that children should be seen and not heard. They believe that children are valued more both within families as well society, as well as they are better cared for as well as educated and protected against harm. They believe that their view is backed up and supported by modern media as well as leisure activities. This is because rightly they are deemed as widely centred and aimed at children. Another sociologist Dr Mause states that if we were to look back in history, children are less valued as well as the quality of childcare has been different to what is seen as nowadays. This then states by society that the position of children of today has been improved.
However against this view are sociologists with the view of Marxists and feminists. These sociologists argue that the society as a whole is still very much based on conflict between groups. Hillman found that there are significant differences between the way that girls and boys are brought up in this society. An example of this is that there is more likely to have more freedom with boys than there are with girls....