Exploring the Path-Dependency of Finnish Early Childhood Education and Care System

Authors

• Eeva-Leena Onnismaa Helsingin yliopisto
• Maiju Paananen
• Lasse Lipponen Helsingin yliopisto

Abstract

In this article, we examine the historical, and the current developments of Finnish institutional Early Childhood Education (ECE). Especially, we are interested in presuppositions about the societal role of ECE. Our data is composed of the documents produced by different stakeholders in the process of constructing the new legislation of early childhood education. We analyze the documents by using Fairclough’s ideas of practical argument and argumentative scheme, and apply the concept of path dependency as an analytical tool. Our findings show that the current discourse is embedded with the ideas connected to social-democratic path-dependency as well as the ideas connected to liberalist regimes. Our results open up a space for discussing the dynamics between these two regimes.