Latest AJEC articles http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au Sat, 11 Sep 2010 00:30:27 +0100 FeedCreator 1.7.2 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/ajec_vol_35_no_1_march_2010.html In this issue: Embracing diversity: Challenging the norm Queer literature for inclusive practices Children's understanding of sexuality The media's sexualisation of children: A fresh look at the debate and more ... You can Editorial - March 2010 (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/editorial_march_2010.html) Tomboys and sissy girls: Exploring girls' power, agency and female relationships in childhood through the memories of women (free full-text available) (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/tomboys_and_sissy_girls.html) Troubling childhood innocence: Reframing the debate over the media sexualisation of children (free full-text available) (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/troubling_childhood_innocence.html) Kiss and tell: Gendered narratives and childhood sexuality (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/kiss_and_tell_gendered_narratives_and_childhood_sexuality.html) The tug of war: When queer and early childhood meet (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/the_tug_of_war_when_queer_and_early_childhood_meet.html) Gay mothers and early childhood education: Standing tall (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/gay_mothers_and_early_childhood_education_standing_tall.html) A review of gay and lesbian themed early childhood children’s literature (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/a_review_of_gay_and_lesbian_themed_early_childhood_childrens_literature.html) (Re)marking heteronormativity: Resisting practices in early childhood education contexts (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/remarking_heteronormativity_resisting_practices_in_early_childhood_education_contexts.html) Early Childhood Australia magazines and journals (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/shop/Results.cfm?category=29) AJEC has a new name ... To reflect its diverse readership and commitment to international early childhood debate,the Australian Journal of Early Childhood has recently changed its name to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood.... Tue, 20 Apr 2010 12:48:04 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/editorial_march_2010.html 'My point is not that everything is bad, but that everything is dangerous, which is not exactly the same as bad. If everything is dangerous, then we always have something to do.' Michel Foucault, 1983 Discussion relating to sexuality in early childhood is 'dangerous business'. Dangerous because conversations about sexuality in early childhood force us to discuss those sexualities that are normalised and celebrated and those that are marginalised and silenced. These conversations are rarely held in our field. We have seen time and again how conversations on sexualities in early childhood are often silenced in the name of childhood innocence and developmental appropriateness, with spaces for discussion and publication made all too often for 'safe issues'. These critical conversations must be had in order to remedy a long history of silence, oppression and discrimination inflicted on gays and lesbians, queer communities and those who challenge dominant ways of 'doing' sexuality and gender. As editors of this special edition, we come to define sexualities as how individuals, including young children, understand their body and its relationship to others. We believe that researching sexualities in early childhood is an examination of sexualities within a system, as well as an examination of... Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:41:01 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/tomboys_and_sissy_girls.html Kerry Robinson University of Western Sydney Cristyn Davies University of Sydney This discussion adds to the body of literature on young girls and their relationships with each other, through an exploration of the experiences of self-identified 'tomboys' and 'sissy girls' in early childhood. It does this through the memories of experiences identified by women. It is not our intention to have adult women speaking on behalf of children; rather, their experiences demonstrate how gendered identity is constructed and negotiated in childhood. They represent critical points in the process of gender construction in early childhood for each of these women, and have practical implications for early childhood professionals working with children today. In all cases, the women considered these critical moments as fundamental in shaping their lives. McLeod and Yates (2006) point out that reflexive memory can provide new readings of the past and present. These experiences provide a valuable avenue in which to gain insight to the complexities and contradictions associated with young girls' performances of gender. In addition, they provide some insight to the complexities of girls' relationships with each other, extending understandings of the constitution of girls' desires and friendships. Their earliest memories of being gendered subjects focused on heteronormative regulations to... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:52:17 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian-journal-of-early-childhood/ajec-index-abstracts/troubling-childhood-innocence-reframing-the-debate-over-the-media-sexualisation-of-children-free-full-text-avail.html Affrica Taylor University of Canberra Childhood innocence is a bedrock assumption of contemporary Western thinking which permeates the professional field of early childhood. Axiomatic to this assumption is the widespread belief that sexuality is both antithetical to childhood and a threat to children's 'natural' innocence. In this article I offer an historical context to the cyclical linking of 'loss of innocence' with the mass media and popular culture. I review key arguments represented in a high-profile Australian public media debate over the sexualisation of children in the media and reframe the arguments by revisiting the feminist critical psychologies of Valerie Walkerdine (1997, 2001) and the poststructural feminist philosophies of Judith Butler (1990, 1997). I argue that the emotionally charged discussions about the sexualisation of children in the media function as performative adult projections, and conclude by encouraging early childhood practitioners to be reflective about the nature and effect of their own adult concerns. Introduction The nexus of young children and sexuality is inflammatory. It usually provokes a conundrum of effects, emotions and understandings and evokes heightened adult anxieties about the loss of childhood innocence and the dangers of child sexual abuse (Jones, 2004; Levine, 2002; Robinson, 2005, 2008; Taylor, 2007). The... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:32:55 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/kiss_and_tell_gendered_narratives_and_childhood_sexuality.html Mindy Blaise Monash University This paper is based on a small-scale qualitative study framed by poststructuralist and queer perspectives that explored how young children talk about gender and sexuality while engaging with activities commonly found in early years settings. Findings show that children are eager to talk about gender and sexuality and do have a considerable amount of sexual knowledge. Questions are raised regarding the role of the early years' teacher and the responsibility the field has for opening up spaces in the curriculum for children's gender and sexual knowledge to be heard, valued and considered. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood – Volume 35 No 1 March 2010, pp. 1–9. Don't forget, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood is tax deductible for early childhood professionals You can purchase this issue of the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood now. Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 35 No 1 March 2010 Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 11:03:24 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/the_tug_of_war_when_queer_and_early_childhood_meet.html William DeJean Macquarie University Sexualities in the field of early childhood remains an abstract concept for some, yet for others it is a reality experienced from the moment one prepares to enter the field. Using a narrative ethnography, which calls for the voice of the 'researcher' and 'participant' to be made visible, this paper explores sexualities in early childhood from the perspective of one lesbian early childhood preservice teacher who must negotiate her identity within the location of university studies and early childhood placement. The paper concludes with recommendations on ways for queer teacher education to support preservice teachers entering the early childhood field. Invisibility is a dangerous and painful condition. When those who have the power to name and to socially construct reality choose not to see you or hear you … there is a moment of psychic disequilibrium, as if you looked into a mirror and saw nothing (Rich, 1986, p. 199). Australasian Journal of Early Childhood – Volume 35 No 1 March 2010, pp. 10–15. Don't forget, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood is tax deductible for early childhood professionals You can purchase this issue of the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood now.... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:53:48 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/gay_mothers_and_early_childhood_education_standing_tall.html Debora Lee University of Auckland Legislation in New Zealand would suggest there is a liberal and accepting attitude towards diverse families in this country, yet discrimination and heteronormative expectations are strongly evident. In this article I report the findings of a study of the experiences of lesbian-parented families in early childhood centres. Seventeen gay women from 12 lesbian-parented families were asked about their own and their children's experiences in a variety of early childhood education settings. The findings, which are discussed in terms of a theory of heteronormativity, describe the steps the women reported they needed to take to prepare their children to cope in a heteronormative world. I conclude that, despite seemingly supportive legislation, this group of gay mothers felt it necessary to protect their children from heteronormativity and to prepare them for coping with discrimination. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood – Volume 35 No 1 March 2010, pp. 16–23. Don't forget, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood is tax deductible for early childhood professionals You can purchase this issue of the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood now. Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 35 No 1 March 2010... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:49:20 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/a_review_of_gay_and_lesbian_themed_early_childhood_childrens_literature.html Jeff Sapp California State University On the third floor of the downtown library, my world began to open up. It was in the gay and lesbian literature section that I began to reclaim my life. I would spend nights alone, sitting on the floor reading coming out stories, sections of fiction, gay and lesbian history, and anything else I could find. Those nights on the third floor, alone on the cold cement floor, were where I took my first breaths of life. It was where I discovered that I would survive. It was literature and literacy that helped save my life. William DeJean (2001) Australasian Journal of Early Childhood – Volume 35 No 1 March 2010, pp. 32–41. Don't forget, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood is tax deductible for early childhood professionals You can purchase this issue of the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood now. Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 35 No 1 March 2010 Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:42:17 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/remarking_heteronormativity_resisting_practices_in_early_childhood_education_contexts.html Nicola Surtees Alexandra C. Gunn University of Canterbury In this paper we draw from our own experiences and research into sexualities matters in early childhood education to illustrate the ongoing silencing of some forms of sexuality in the contexts of initial teacher education and practices with children and families. Through discourse analysis we explore how, despite increased attention to heteronormativity in research and policy, practices in both contexts remain marked by heteronormativity. How does an investment in silence and heteronormativity lead to or diminish possibilities for high-quality teaching and learning? This paper considers this question and seeks to resist such practices while (re)marking possibilities for the future. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood – Volume 35 No 1 March 2010, pp. 42–47. Don't forget, Australasian Journal of Early Childhood is tax deductible for early childhood professionals You can purchase this issue of the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood now. Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Vol. 35 No 1 March 2010 Back to the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood... Mon, 19 Apr 2010 10:37:36 +0100 http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/ajec_vol_34_no_4_december_2009.html In this issue: Developing the national curriculum: Belonging, Being and Becoming Early childhood service delivery: Reinforcing inequality Creative arts education: The neglected Key Learning Area Tackling myths about mathematics education and more ... You can Editorial - December 2009 (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/editorial_august_2009.html) Insider perspectives on developing Belonging, Being and Becoming: The Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (free full-text available) (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/insider_perspectives_on_belonging_being_and_becoming_the_early_years_learning_framework_for_australia.html) Early childhood teachers' misconceptions about mathematics education for young children in the United States (free full-text available) (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/early_childhood_teachers_misconceptions_about_mathematics_education_for_young_children_in_the_united_states.html) Early childhood service delivery for families living with disability: Disabling families through problematic implicit ideology (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/early_childhood_service_delivery_for_families_living_with_disability_disabling_families_through_problematic_implicit_ideology.html) The challenges of implementing primary arts education: What our teachers say (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/the_challenges_of_implementing_primary_arts_education_what_our_teachers_say.html) Early childhood safety education: An overview of safety curriculum in outer metropolitan, regional and rural NSW (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/early_childhood_safety_education_an_overview_of_safety_curriculum_in_outer_metropolitan_rural_and_regional_nsw.html) Closing the gap: Myths and truths behind subitisation (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/closing_the_gap_myths_and_truths_behind_subitisation.html) Beyond developmentalism? Early childhood teachers' understandings of multiage grouping in early childhood education and care (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/australian_journal_of_early_childhood/ajec_index_abstracts/beyond_developmentalism_early_childhood_teachers_understandings_of_multiage_grouping_in_early_childhood_education_and_care.html) Early Childhood Australia magazines and journals (http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/shop/Results.cfm?category=29) AJEC is changing its name ... To reflect its diverse readership and commitment to... Wed, 23 Dec 2009 11:07:51 +0100