Abstract
This book represents our attempt to challenge existing borders to partnering with families and whānau (extended family) in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services. In so doing, we argue for a reconceptualized purpose to these services: one that enhances community wellness through a process of conscientization (Freire, 1993)—a political awareness of how social, cultural, and economic conditions influence perceptions of children, of childhood, of families and of ECEC services—and one that places children and their families at the heart of communities. In this reconceptualization, children, families, whānau, and teachers in ECEC services are active partners together working to improve their quality of life and that of their respective communities. While the rhetoric of partnership with families and community appears in the public sphere via technologies (Duhn, 2006) such as curriculum documents, regulations and policies, research argues that ECEC services, children, and families are often relegated to the private domain (De Visscher & Bouverne-De Bie, 2008) and are therefore rendered invisible and powerless (John, 2003).
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Notes
Citizens Preschool and Nursery Centre of Innovation. (2008). Collaborations: Teachers and a family whānau support worker in an early childhood setting. Final report for Centre of Innovation Research (2005–2007). Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Education.
Dahlberg, G., Moss, P., & Pence, A. (2007). Beyond quality in early childhood education and care. Languages of evaluation. (2nd ed.). London and New York: Routledge. Taylor & Francis.
De Visscher, S., & Bouverne-De Bie, M. (2008). Children’s presence in the neighbourhood: A social-pedagogical perspective. Children and Society, 22 (6), 470–481.
Duhn, I. (2006). The making of global citizens: Traces of cosmopolitanism in the New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 7(3), 191–201.
Duncan, J. (2009, November). Building communities: Begins in the early years. Keynote presentation to the Anglican Social Services Conference: “Strengthening Our Communities.” Napier, NZ.
Duncan, J., Bowden, C., & Smith, A. B. (2005). Early childhood centres and family resilience. Report prepared for the Ministry of Social Development, Wellington, NZ.
Duncan, J., Bowden, C., & Smith, A. B. (2006a). A gossip or a good yack? Reconceptualizing parent support in New Zealand early childhood centre based programmes. International Journal of Early Years Education, 14(1), 1–13.
Duncan, J., Bowden, C., & Smith, A. B. (2006b). Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood centres and family resilience: Reconceptualising relationships. International Journal of Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood, 4(2), 79–90.
Duncan, J., Wegner, A., Dobson, J., & Foote, L. with Teachers from Otago and Southland. (2011). Early childhood education: Community when and where it counts. Early Education, 49 (Winter), 12–20.
Freeman, C., Quigg, R., Vass, E., & Broad, M. (2007). The changing geographies of children’s lives: A study of how children in Dunedin use their environment. Dunedin, NZ: Department of Geography, University of Otago.
Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed (20th Anniversary ed.). New York: Continuum.
John, M. (2003). Children’s rights and power: Charging up for a new century. London and New York: Jessica Kingsely Publishers.
Key, J. (2011, March). Speech to National Memorial Service. Hagley Park, Christchurch. Retrieved from http://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/speech-national-memorial-service
Macfie, R. (2011). Frustration grows: Letter from Christchurch. Listener, April 16–22, 26–27.
May, H. (2007). Politics in the Playground. The world of early childhood in postwar New Zealand. (2nd ed.). Dunedin, NZ: Otago University Press.
Ministry of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki. He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā, mokopuna o Aotearoa: Early childhood curriculum. Wellington, NZ: Learning Media.
OECD. (2006). Starting strong II: Early childhood education and care. Paris: OECD Publishing.
Solnit, R. (2009). A paradise built in hell: The extraordinary communities that arise in disaster. London: Viking Penguin.
Stainton Rogers, W. (2004). Promoting better childhoods: Constructions of child concern. In M. J. Kelhily (Ed.). An introduction to childhood studies (pp. 125–144). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
Suzuki, M., Naito, T., Kamigaichi, N., & The Japanese National Committee of OMEP. (2011). A brief report on conditions of Kindergartens and Day Nurseries affected by the Eastern Japan Great Earthquake on March 11, 2011 Tokyo, Japan: The Japanese National Committee of OMEP.
Te One, S. (2003). Te Whāriki. Contemporary issues of influence. In J. Nuttall (Ed.). Weaving Te Whāriki. Aotearoa New Zealand’s early childhood curriculum document in theory and in practice (pp. 17–49). Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Council for Educational Research Press.
UNICEF. (2008). The child care transition. A league table of early childhood education and care in economically advanced countries. Innocenti Report Card 8. Florence, Italy: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre.
Walden, C. (2011). Monopoly games in the nursery. Community, inequalities and early childhood education. Retrieved from http://www.salvationarmy.org.nz/socialpolicy
Volunteers across Japan unite to rebuild devastated towns and lives. (2011, July 16). Retrieved from http://rt.com/news/japan-volunteers -earthquake/
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Copyright information
© 2012 Judith Duncan and Sarah Te One
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Te One, S., Duncan, J. (2012). Conclusion: Reconceptualizing Early Education; Crossing Borders to Build Community. In: Duncan, J., One, S.T. (eds) Comparative Early Childhood Education Services. Critical Cultural Studies of Childhood. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137016782_11
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137016782_11
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-29838-9
Online ISBN: 978-1-137-01678-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Education CollectionEducation (R0)