Reflecting Caring and Power in Early Childhood Education: Recalling Memories of Educational Practices

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine how early childhood education teachers recall educational situations concerning caring and power in their childhoods and in their work. The purpose is to study how caring and power are constructed and intertwined in educational practices. The intention is to examine how teachers reflect their work concerning caring and power. The theoretical framework is based on feminist post-structural theories and the data were collected using the memory-work method. The issues of caring and power were found within everyday practices, and were often invisible in routine activities, which are seen as teachers’ reflections of their activities. Power and caring were spread in and through the educational situations, which involved continuous and multifaceted decision-making.

Keywords:

• early childhood education
• power
• caring
• memory-work

Notes

¹ I was an active conversationalist in the group because before I came to the university, I worked at day-care centres for about 10 years. So, I have the same kind of background to talk about educational practices at the day-care centres; I was like one of the examinees (see more, Ylitapio-Mäntylä, 2009).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Outi Ylitapio-Mäntylä

Outi Ylitapio-Mäntylä, University of Lapland.