The Greatest Stakeholder — Parents: Working With Students, Communities, and Families on Addressing Diverse Gender and Sexual Identities With Young Children

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 31
  In Roundtable Session: Identities at the Intersections of Praxis and Politics

Abstract

This paper considers parents as organizational stakeholders in relation to educational goals to address diversity and inclusion with young children. In particular, what are the opportunities children are offered in curriculum to make meaning of diverse gender and sexual identities, and what are the implications for students and families? Twelve kindergarten curriculum documents were analysed in a Critical Discourse Analysis, drawing upon three levels of analysis: Fairclough’s (1995) textual analysis, Dillon’s (2009) questions of curriculum, and the six dimensions of language arts. Findings indicate that most curricula lack explicit language to ensure the inclusion of gender and sexual identities in classroom curricula, thereby relying on community support and understanding to elevate these conversations.

Author

• Pamela M. Malins, University of New Brunswick