Politics of belonging in the peer relationships of 3–5-year-old children: An ethnographic study of an integrated group in early childhood education and care in Finland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58955/jecer.161917Keywords:
politics of belonging, integrated group, special support, inclusionAbstract
Belonging is a key factor in supporting young children’s learning, well-being, and development. Peer relationships in early childhood education and care (ECEC), in particular, are important arenas for young children to construct belonging. However, belonging is often intertwined with questions of power, social positions, hierarchies, and acceptance, notably among young children still practicing interaction. This ethnographic study examined how politics of belonging are manifested in the peer relationships of 3–5-year-old children in an integrated ECEC group setting, where approximately half of the children receive intensified or special support, and the remaining half do not. The group included 12 children (5 of whom received special support) and 5 early childhood professionals. The ethnographic observation data was analyzed using a data-driven thematic analysis. The results indicated that the politics of belonging is characterized by children’s tendencies to recognize intersectional similarities and differences in each other, which reflect definitions of acceptance or exclusion, as well as negotiations of social positions and morality. Furthermore, the ways in which children who need no support participate in shaping the politics of belonging were more subtle and tactful in some places compared to their peers who need support.
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