The challenge of monoculturalism
What books are educators sharing with children and what messages do they send
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21522443 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Helen Adam (0000-0002-3005-7142, Edith Cowan University, corresponding author), Caroline Barratt-Pugh (0000-0002-1470-0089, Edith Cowan University) |
| Year | 2020 |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 815-836 |
| Publication date | 2020-11-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Australian Educational Researcher (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0311-6999 • E-ISSN: 2210-5328 |
| Publisher | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s13384-019-00375-7 |
| OpenAlex | W3005062941 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 16 |
| References cited | 19 |
The importance of recognising, valuing and respecting a child’s family, culture, language and values is increasingly articulated in educational policy. Diversity and inclusion are central themes of the guiding principles of early childhood education and care in Australia. Children’s literature can be a powerful tool for extending children’s knowledge and understandings of themselves and others who may be different culturally, socially or historically. However, evidence suggests many settings provide monocultural book collections which are counterproductive to principles of diversity. This paper reports on a larger study investigating factors and relationships influencing the use of children’s literature to support principles of cultural diversity in the kindergarten rooms of long day care centres. The study was conducted within an ontological perspective of constructivism and an epistemological perspective of interpretivism informed by sociocultural theory. A mixed methods approach was adopted and convergent design was employed to interpret significant relationships and their meanings. Twenty-four educators and 110 children from four long day care centres in Western Australia participated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, video-based observations, field notes, document analysis and a book audit. This study identified that current book collections in these four kindergarten rooms of long day care centres promote monocultural viewpoints and ‘othering’ of minority groups through limited access to books portraying inclusive and authentic cultural diversity. These findings have important social justice implications. The outcomes of this study have implications for educators, policy makers, early childhood organisations and those providing higher education and training for early childhood educators
Cultural diversity · Developmental psychology · Early childhood · Early childhood education · Pedagogy · Social science · Sociocultural evolution · Sociology · Viewpoints · Early Childhood Education and Development · Multilingual Education and Policy · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
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The meanings of authenticity in early childhood education
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A Cross-Cultural Examination of Parents’ Book Selection & Shared Reading Practices in Spain and Israel
Critical considerations of the challenges of teaching national literatures in Australia in the 21st century
I see you. Do you see me? Investigating the representation of diversity in prize winning Australian early childhood picture books
‘I’m not from a country, I’m from Australia.’ Costumes, scarves, and fruit on their heads
Do teachers read against the text? Studying the prevalence of critical literature pedagogy through a vignette
Invisible women
Opening up semiotic spaces for gender expression
| Unique citing works | 16 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 3.2 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 14 |