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This study seeks to explore the relationship between the individual and the social and cultural in the development of young children's ethnic identities in the context of a particular nursery scho.ol and its community in the North-West of England. A group of children, threequarters of whom were of Pakistani-heritage and a quarter of whom were of British white-indigenous heritage, were studied, initially at home and then as they started nursery, using an ethnographic approach. The research points to a conception of ethnic identity as part of a multiple, shiftin,g and fixing network of performances which involve borders of belonging and marginalisation and which include identities of gender, age, class, ethnicity, culture and religion. The research reveals the way in which white, indigenous, more affluent children, (particularly girls), were encouraged as .Iegitimate participants but how less affluent. white children, (particularly boys). and children from the least affluent and most traditional families of Pakistani - heritage were marginalised as outsiders, usually because of barriers of language and previous experience. Ethnic identity is thus conceived of as emerging from practices and· communities and is mediated and brokered by access to participation. In this sense. participation, in all its forms, may be understood as an ontological imperative because without it, ethnic identity, and other forms of identity, cannot emerge. None of this is straightforward: it is embedded in the multitude of power relations which shape the world. The research points to a need for more recognition that cultural practices in early childhood education are not necessarily shared and greater clarity is needed about the sociocultural resources that children from different backgrounds bring to the experience of early childhood education. This requires thoughtful and sensitive professional development and exploration of what early childhood provision should look like if fossilization and marginalisation are to be avoided.

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Home education, defmed in this study as the full-time education of children in and around the home by their committed parents or guardians, is a growing educational option in both the US and the UK. It is a tremendous challenge for parents because it is a constantly lived intellectual and emotionally absorbing experience concerning the future of their children. Most research into home education focuses on children: this project explores it from the perspective of parents. Data was collected through fIfty preliminary questionnaires and thirty-four in-depth interviews. Surprisingly, fmandal concerns, career curtailment and 'time for one's self did not emerge as signillcant. However, parents had an enonnous task to face, to think about styles and approaches to education. Being in a small minority group, moreover one that challenged established educational practice, also left parents feeling marginalised. The research describes how parents adapt to their new role and how this changes them as indiViduals. A theoretical framework which deals with changes both with regard to learning and identity is Wenger's (1998) Community of Practice which analyses learning through practice in a sodal setting and connects these practices to identity fonnation. The community of practice is defmed according to its joint ' . enterprise (common goal), mutual engagement (meeting up with others to pursue the common goal) and shared repertoire (memories, stories and jokes of the community). The theory was modified in order to apply it not only to the paradigmatic neighbourhood home education groups but also to virtual home education networks and even to the exceptional cases where parents relate through the home education constellation alone. It is further proposed that, without realising it, the experience of home educating is interwoven with broader self-development; parents do not only educate their children but themselves as well, including becoming more politically aware. They become different people, not only with regard to a radical change in their educational views but also experiencing a profound change of identity.

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No description available.