theteam@theeducationhub.org.nz
Postal Address
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A social justice lens highlights the complexity of identity, and the impact of social and political issues on the lives of children and their families. A social justice approach in early childhood supports children’s health, wellbeing, safety, and equitable access to education, and is driven by a strong focus on children’s rights.
Teaching for social justice enacts a vision of equity for all. A social justice approach considers questions related to gender, sexuality, race, culture, ability/disability, socioeconomic status, and the environment. It seeks to understand how different people and communities experience the world, particularly with consideration to the various aspects of identity and how these intersect and interact. This includes honouring children’s rights, recognising children’s cultures, being mindful of socioeconomic disadvantage and its impacts, and attending to questions of access, participation, privilege, and marginalisation.
Social justice is relevant in educational contexts and beyond. Creating, sustaining, and enacting a vision of social justice can serve teachers in understanding, caring for, and supporting all children to learn and thrive. This approach creates equitable and ethical spaces where all children can participate and relate to each other and their communities in thoughtful and compassionate ways, and examines the privilege apparent in educational paradigms and curricula.
There is a considerable (and growing) body of research that explores questions related to children, childhoods, and early childhood education from a social justice perspective. This research is largely qualitative in nature and often positions itself in opposition to many of the common, more developmental outcomes associated with much early childhood research.
Critique and action are essential to a social justice approach. Teachers may choose to engage in advocacy and activism related to social justice – for example, they can engage in anti-bias practices which acknowledge the gendered nature of early childhood and seek to address gendered issues in meaningful ways by challenging assumptions which stem from a binary and conventional view of gender. But simple actions such as developing caring methods of teaching, building and sustaining relationships, and continuing to learn about trauma-informed pedagogies, can also make a significant difference.
Dr Sonya Gaches from the University of Otago explores how objects associated with home serve as holders of narratives that create a sense of belonging for children
Associate Professor Sonja Arndt and Professor Kylie Smith explore how early childhood settings can support children and families with a range of identities
Professor Beth Blue Swadener and Dr Lacey Peters will explore how teachers can meaningfully engage with children’s voices, perspectives and experiences and incorporate a social justice approach into their teaching practice
Dr Kate McAnelly shares her research into disability and inclusion, and how early childhood centres can create a culture of inclusion that supports the wellbeing, learning, and engagement of all children
Professor Mara Sapon-Shevin (Syracuse University, USA) discusses how early childhood teachers can approach gender non-conformity, including the prevalent and often unquestioned gender-based assumptions present in society
Dr Madeleine Dobson (Curtin University, Australia) discusses her research into the representation of children on social media with Dr Vicki Hargraves
Key insights from our webinar with Dr Sonya Gaches from the University of Otago.
Key insights from a webinar with Professor Kylie Smith and Associate Professor Sonja Arndt from The University of Melbourne.
Key insights from the webinar with Dr Kate McAnelly.
Key insights from the webinar with Professor Beth Blue Swadener and Dr Lacey Peters.
The key insights from our webinar with Professor Mara Sapon-Shevin talking about gender non-conformity in early childhood education.
The key insights from our webinar with Madeleine Dobson on the way children are represented on social media platforms and the importance of considering children's rights and perspectives.
