Children's identities in early childhood: complexity and competency

TY - GEN

T1 - Children's identities in early childhood: complexity and competency

AU - Rubiano Zornosa, Clara Ines

AU - Guimaraes, Sofia

AU - Tang, Fengling

PY - 2019

Y1 - 2019

N2 - Concepts of identities have moved away from a notion of being a fixed, stable pre-given set of attributes to recognition of a shifting, fluid state of being and becoming (Hall, 1990). The aim of our presentation is to explore the complexity in and competency of children constructing and understanding identities in early childhood drawing on multi-disciplinary research and authors’ own professional and personal experience. Focusing on the process of children’s identity formation which intersects with their immediate environments - home and early years settings that children are mostly associated with, the authors investigate the complexity as well as children’s competency in negotiating their identities in the context of cultural variations between home and early years settings. The authors critically interrogate children’s flexibility in adapting themselves to multiplicity/diversity that emerges from home and early years settings alongside their agency in resisting cultural oppression to enable their natural sense of who they are. The authors wish to draw attention of academics and professionals to the competency of children in the process of constructing and making sense of their identities in the early stage of life and consider implications for supporting young children’s identities in home and early years settings.

AB - Concepts of identities have moved away from a notion of being a fixed, stable pre-given set of attributes to recognition of a shifting, fluid state of being and becoming (Hall, 1990). The aim of our presentation is to explore the complexity in and competency of children constructing and understanding identities in early childhood drawing on multi-disciplinary research and authors’ own professional and personal experience. Focusing on the process of children’s identity formation which intersects with their immediate environments - home and early years settings that children are mostly associated with, the authors investigate the complexity as well as children’s competency in negotiating their identities in the context of cultural variations between home and early years settings. The authors critically interrogate children’s flexibility in adapting themselves to multiplicity/diversity that emerges from home and early years settings alongside their agency in resisting cultural oppression to enable their natural sense of who they are. The authors wish to draw attention of academics and professionals to the competency of children in the process of constructing and making sense of their identities in the early stage of life and consider implications for supporting young children’s identities in home and early years settings.

M3 - Conference contribution

BT - Children's identities in early childhood: complexity and competency

T2 - Gender and Education Association International Conference 2019

Y2 - 25 June 2019 through 27 June 2019

ER -