The aim of our study is to examine how teachers and children in preschool relate to and use children’s age in early childhood education. We have chosen to critically analyze our empirical data through three theoretical concepts, categorization, power relations and norms. We have used qualitative methods such as observations and discussions of literature at four municipal preschools to achieve the purpose of our study. We have, amongst others, read research by Prout (2005) and Dolk (2013), who highlights different ways to look on childhood and its construction. Our analysis shows that children are grouped by age and various norms related to age. Teachers speak about children in preschool in terms of “small” and “big” children. The educators we have observed divide children by age because they seem to believe they are at the same level of development, with some exceptions. The study also shows that teachers possess the power in preschool and are therefore involved in shaping and creating norms around age. The children who participated in our study were able to express to us how old they were. When describing age in regards to others it often becomes an abstract phenomenon, but it also turns out that their own age is of great relevance for them, especially the importance of being "big".
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-30259 |
| Date | January 2016 |
| Creators | Harrysson, Linda, Jonsson, Marie |
| Publisher | Malmö högskola, Fakulteten för lärande och samhälle (LS), Malmö högskola/Lärande och samhälle |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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