Challenges and opportunities: book discussions of gender non-conformity in two preschool classrooms

ABSTRACT

This qualitative case study investigated how two White female preschool teachers, who were familiar with anti-bias pedagogy, discussed gender non-conformity using a book in their classrooms. The book discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed. Teachers challenged some of the children’s gender stereotypes about gender non-conformity; however, teachers did not counter other stereotypes and kept discussions about gender non-conformity at the surface level. Children drew on their normative understandings of gender as a binary concept to make sense of gender non-conformity. Children were aware of gender-stereotyped clothing that would be deemed gender appropriate by their peers or family. Some children had difficulty understanding why a boy would wear a dress, while others challenged gender stereotypes. Teachers did not engage in in-depth discussions around gender non-conformity or around the gendered nature of bullying of a ‘girly’ boy in the book. Implications are discussed for teacher professional development and for gender-affirming early childhood pedagogy.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender affirming
• gender non-conforming
• early childhood
• gender stereotypes
• gender diverse
• gender expansive

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Drs. Beth Blue Swadener, Carol Martin, Eva Marie Shivers, and Kathryn Nakagawa in assisting with conceptualizing this work during the dissertation process. The author also thanks the teachers and children for taking part in this study. The author thanks graduate students Sara Ross, Edgar Palomino, Makayla Gill, and Alexandria Wall for assisting with portions of this project. Preliminary findings from this study were presented at Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education annual meetings, October 2017 and November 2019, Toronto, CA and Las Cruces, NM; at the Texas National Association for Multicultural Education conference, April 2019, Nacogdoches, TX; and at American Educational Research Association annual meeting, April 2016, in Washington DC.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics approval

This study has been approved by Arizona State University’s Institutional Review Board (#00002958) and by Stephen F. Austin State University’s Institutional Review Board (AY 2018-1055).

Consent to participate

Teachers and parents (on behalf of their children) gave written informed consent for participation in the study. Participants were treated according to APA ethical standards.

Data availability statement

The data, methods used in the analysis, and materials used to conduct the research are available to any researcher wishing to replicate the study via contacting the author or by visiting www.florafarago.com. Findings have not been previously published in part or in whole.

Additional information

Funding

This study was part of the author’s dissertation work that was partially funded by the Arizona State University (ASU) Graduate and Professional Student Association, ASU Graduate Education, and ASU’s Office of the Vice Provost for Research. A portion of the work on the manuscript was also supported by a grant from the Stephen F. Austin State University Research Enhancement Program.

Notes on contributors

Flóra Faragó

Flóra Faragó is an Associate Professor in Human Development and Family Studies at Stephen F. Austin State University. Flóra has a background in developmental psychology and early childhood education. She was born in Budapest, Hungary and moved to Texas in 1998, where she earned her B.A. and M.S. degrees in Psychology at the University of Texas at Dallas and her Ph.D. in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University in 2016. Her teaching and research interests centre around children’s prejudice and stereotype development, anti-bias and anti-racist curricula and parenting, and inclusive early childhood education surrounding race and gender. Dr Faragó is particularly interested in the link between research and community activism. She collaborates with colleagues and organizations nationally and internationally, including the Indigo Cultural Center, Local to Global Justice, the Jirani Project, and the Girl Child Network. You can learn more about Flóra’s work at www.florafarago.com.