Lapsen hyvä elämä? Päiväkotiarjen pienten kertomusten äärellä

Authors

• Anna-Maija Puroila University of Oulu, Finland
• Eila Estola University of Oulu, Finland

Keywords:

children’s well‐being, lasten hyvinvointi, narrative approach, kerronnallinen lähestymistapa, small stories, pienet kertomukset, day care centre, päiväkoti

Abstract

The article focuses on children’s well-­being in Finnish day care centres. We conceptualize well-­being as socially constructed stories in children’s everyday life. We are interested in the processes of narrating and the contents of the stories: How do children tell about their well-­being? What do children tell about their well-­being? The research material was collected in three groups of children ranging from one to seven years old. We participated in the everyday life of children, listened to their stories, and co-­constructed diverse research material together with children and adults. The analysis of the children’s narrating processes reveals their holistic, embodied, and multimodal nature. The contents of the stories are analysed from three perspectives: 1) possession and material resources, 2) social relationships, and 3) participation and the ability to fulfil oneself. Finally, we evaluate the scientific quality of our research and reflect the research findings with the philosophical discussions about good life.