Fluid reality or symmetrical reality
Two strategies for visual representation of critical pedagogy in kindergartens
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 23310929 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Zohar Sitner (0009-0002-4614-6788, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev), Assaf Meshulam (0000-0001-6139-9834, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-17 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-30 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Visual Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1472-586X • E-ISSN: 1472-5878 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/1472586x.2026.2701234 |
| OpenAlex | W7171834478 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 32 |
The article analyses the visual environment of two bilingual (Arabic–Hebrew) kindergartens in Israel on certain national days. A comparison between the two reveals two distinct approaches in the attempt to deal with the complexity of multicultural education in a reality of ongoing conflict: one alludes to quintessential Jewish and Palestinian national symbols and narratives; the other adopts a fluid approach that focuses on designing a blended physical environment that avoids direct reference to sensitive national events. The article is based on two case studies, involving the analysis of photographic images and interviews with the educational staff of the two kindergartens. It discusses how the design of space reflects educational and ideological perceptions and proposes different visual interpretations of the concept of multiculturalism. Although they employ different strategies, both kindergartens tackle sensitive political and cultural issues in the education of young children and succeed in providing a unique environment in which critical and multicultural education can be experienced.
Critical pedagogy · Ideology · Multiculturalism · Perception · Politics · Representation (politics) · Space (punctuation) · Visual research · Jewish and Middle Eastern Studies · Literacy, Media, and Education · Multilingual Education and Policy
Official Knowledge
Reading Images
(Re)Centering Quality in Early Childhood Education
Multimodality and Literacy in School Classrooms
Justice for whom and according to whom? (Re)considering equity, inclusion and belonging in early care and education
The progressive image in the history of education
The role of the classroom’s images. Study of visual culture at three schools
Visual culture and critical pedagogy
Complex Contexts and Ideologies
Post-Colonial Ruptures and Democratic Possibilities
Fearful symmetry
Palestinian-Jewish Bilingual Education in Israel
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Naturalistic inquiry
Settler colonialism and the elimination of the native
Discourses of Multicultural Acknowledgment in Canada
Israel-Palestine and the Settler Colonial 'Turn
Syrian refugees' vision for quality education in a Lebanese public school
Delinking
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |