[Re]membering Gender in Early Childhood Education

• In Event: Memories of Social Justice Teaching Practices

Abstract

Early childhood classrooms include increasing numbers of children whose performances of gender extend beyond society's narrow definitions of “boy” and “girl” (Slesaransky-Poe & Garcia, 2012). In preschools, children are exposed to a hidden curriculum of gender (Raey, 2001), which teaches that boys and girls act and think differently. Rather than remaining complicit in replicating binary gender (DePalma, 2013), our research looks to queer theory (e.g. Britzman, 1995; Pinar, 1998) to interrupt the normalization of certain gender identities/expressions (Luhmann, 1998).
Using action research, three preschool teachers challenged themselves to embody a queer pedagogy. They engaged in cycles of reflection and action to take an ethical stance for equity in their classrooms. Reflection occurred in monthly meetings, which were audio-recorded and transcribed. Analysis of transcripts indicated the teachers’ willingness to push boundaries of discomfort and take ethical stances through pedagogical actions. Findings indicate new possibilities around gender in preschools.

Authors

• Laura Bower-Phipps, Southern Connecticut State University

• Jessica S. Powell, Southern Connecticut State University

• Marissa Bivona, Southern Connecticut State University

• Rebecca Harmon, Southern Connecticut State University

• Anne Olcott, Westville Community Nursery School