Institutionalized Blindness to Young Children’s Perspectives?

Maja Røn Larsen – Roskilde University mrl@ruc.dk

Anja Stanek – University of Southern Denmarkahstanek@health.sdu.dk

Denmark

Research interests of the project1. Young Children’s Perspectives in their

everyday lives 2. The conditions of professional work in 0-2

year-olds daycare and the possibilities of relating to children’s perspectives.

The Challenge in Pedagogy

”Fundamentally Pedagogy relates to having intentions on behalf of others. But we can never forget that those for whom we have intentions are subjects, that also have intentions themselves” (Schwarz, 2014).

Intentions is understood in relation to activities in social contexts, not isolated descriptions of behaviour (Hedegaard, 2012).

Studied and problematized relations

Institutional Conditions

Pedagogy & Professionality

Young Children’s Perspectives

The double sidedness of Pedagogy & Professionalism in day care practice

Flexibility in relation to children’s perspectives in the shared everyday life

vs. A tendency to overlook the children’s perspectives

Main points

– Children are dependent of ”situated Professionalism” - but this form of professionalism is threatened.

– Children are concerned about, directed towards eachother in everydaylife in daycare – but it tends to be unheeded.

– What are the institutional conditions for this?

Central discussions• How to examine the perspectives of 0-2-year-olds?• How to gain insights into structural and institutional

conditions from situated (children’s) perspectives? • How to contribute to developing the professional

practice of including children’s perspectives?

Project context

• In Denmark 18 % of children less than a year and 86 % one-to-two year-olds attend daycare

• Family day care: Childminder + 3-5 children, Private homes + weekly playgroup with other minders & children – ongoing “non-formal” training.

• Day nursery: 3-4 “adults” + 12 – 14 children, Institutional building + playground – 3½ years education as pedagogue.

How do we Examine Perspectives of 0-2 Year Olds

- in an institutional setting

- with an eye for engagements, learning and development…

Interviews with parents

Inte

rviews w

ith

profe

ssionals

Meetings with professionals,

where we discuss both concrete

children and the pedagogical

praxis

Particip

ant obse

rvations o

f the ch

ild’s

particip

ation w

ithin th

eir day-ca

re

Speaking with (situated

interviewing) the children –

when ever it seems to give

meaning.

”It strikes me, that the child as a person, to a greater extend becomes visible, even though, or perhaps even because, we did not only focus on the person alone” (Højholt, 2005, p35)

Participant observations of the other children’s participation within the day-care

Examining Perspectives of 0-2 Year Olds…Research design

Changing and flexible Professional Practices i relation to Children’s Perspectives

• Closed or open doors between different rooms – arranging physical conditions for the children.

• Planning and changing activities according to children’s interests within the available conditions.

• Re-arranging dinner and sleeping time

Arranging everyday life in daycare as explorative and experimental processes.

• “All the time I keep searching for: What does THIS child want, what does s/he need?”

• “You try, and perhaps fail sometimes, and then you figure it out”.

Anna and the girls in playgroup• Anna, Marie and Veronica attend different child-minders – but playing together.• “Wait Anna, You are not going out yet”. • Anna runs to find – her own minder – she doesn’t notice Anna. • 5 minutes later the rest goes to the playground. Anna runs to Marie and Veronica. • ”NO” shouts Veronica• Anna poors a cup of sand out over the playscene• Anna runs and hinds behind the playhouse looking into the ground. • SOPHIE fetches her: “You have to say, you are sorry!” • “It’s mine” they all keep saying.• The conflicts continue until it is time to go back in for lunch• Sophie looks at me with a sigh of despair.

Anna and the girls in playgroup

The professional considered reasons for Anna’s actions on the playground, when left behind:• Is it because of her family background?• Is it because of her delayed lingual development• Is it because of her special temper?

• Anna’s position in the playgroup is not noticed.

Conditions for pedagogy and professionalism with 0-2 year olds

Pedagogical Practice

Group of children

Cooperation with parents

”theoretical” understanding

Demands of accoutability

Politics of Childhood

Institutional organisation

Institutional grounds for blindness to children’s perspectives

• Individualising figures /technologies of understanding• Hectic everyday life – decreasing Adult/child Ratios• Less time for professional collaboration• Political concerns about institutional quality: – Political demands for documentation and accountability of

activities– demands of structure and ”planning ahead”