The Handbook of Critical Perspectives in Early Childhood offers an overview of critical perspectives on the theories and methodologies, identities (cultural and personal), and social contexts of young children, their families, communities, teachers, and caregivers. This handbook addresses equity, power, and justice issues in social contexts and confronts the practice of shying away from naming and condemning white supremacy, racism, anti-blackness, xenophobia, ableism, and gender discrimination. The chapters challenge the colonization of educational research toward decolonization, demarginalization and humanizing that reframes and redirects the longstanding zealousness of blaming problems on children, families, and communities, leaving exculpatory policies and corporate interests which drive dispossession. The handbook includes a glossary of terms and serves as a foundational text and reference to teacher educators, researchers, scholars, students, and stakeholders working with young children, their families, communities, teachers, and caregivers.
Foreword, Nicola Yelland (Victoria University, Australia)
Introduction, Sara Michael Luna (University of Central Florida, USA) Brian L. Wright
(University of Memphis, USA) and Marek Tesar (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Part I: Critical Theories and Methodologies to Humanize And (Re)Imagine Childhoods
Part I Introduction: Sara Michael Luna (University of Central Florida, USA), Brian L. Wright (University of Memphis, USA) and Marek Tesar (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
1. In These Times of Crisis, Who is the Child to the Researcher and the Teacher? Gail Boldt (Penn State University, USA) and Joe Tobin (Arizona State University, USA)
2. A Childist Response to the Very Young, Tanu Biswas (University of Stavanger, Norway and University of Bayreuth, Germany) and John Wall, Rutgers University, Camden, USA)
3. Elevating Racism in Early Childhood Education Research: Redressing the Past to Forge a Just Future, Iheoma Iruka (Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute/UNC, USA), Tonia R. Durde (Georgia State University, USA) and Amber M. Noel (University of Georgia, USA)
4. Train Up a Child? Talking aAout and Teaching Race in Early Childhood, Adrienne Dixson (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA) and Cory T. Brown (The Ohio State University, USA)
5. Using Black PlayCrit to Identify the Anti-Black Misandric Restrictions of Black Boyhood Play in Early Childhood Classrooms, Nathaniel Bryan (Miami University, USA) and Michelle DeJohnette (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, USA)
6. Demarginalizing Young Children Through Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit) in Early Childhood Research, Margaret R. Beneke and April Coloma Boyce (University of Washington, USA)
7. Global Childhoods: Troubling the Dominant Discourses in Early Childhood Education and Care, I-Fang Lee (The University of Newcastle, Australia)
8. Childhoods in Indonesia: Reconceptualising Dominant Discourses of School Readiness, Vina Adriany (Universitas Pendidikan, Indonesia) and Marek Tesar (The University of Auckland, New Zealand)
9. Tamaiti o le Moana - Children of Moana: Pacific Childhoods Through Relational-Ecologies, Jacoba Matapo (AUT University, New Zealand) and Jeanne Teisina (AUT University, New Zealand)
10. (Re)imaging Black Boyhood: Toward a Critical Framework for Education Research (Working Title), Joseph Derrick Nelson (Swarthmore College, USA)
11. From Marginalisation to Emancipation: Possibilities of Citizenship For Young Children and Families, Jenny Ritchie and Peng Xu (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
Part II: Identities, Perspectives, Voices, and agency of Children and Their Caregivers
Part II Introduction, Sara Michael Luna (University of Central Florida, USA), Brian L. Wright (University of Memphis, USA) and Marek Tesar (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
12. What Does it Mean for Young Children to Matter in Schools?, Anna Falkner (The University of Memphis, USA) and Natacha Jones (University of Texas, Austin, USA)
13. Understanding the Politics of Identity and its Implications, Angel Chan (University of Auckland, New Zealand) and Criss Diaz (University of Western Sydney, Australia)
14. Is It Because I’m Black?: Moral Imagination Toward (Re)Imagining the Education/Schooling of Black boys, Brian L. Wright (University of Memphis, USA)
15. Indigenous Rangatahi Speak Out: Ko Ratou te Iwi mo Apopo: Voices of tomorrow, Mere Skerrett (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand)
16. Rethinking Early Childhood Education in Turkana Pastoralist Communities in Kenya, John Ngassaki (Kenyatta University, Kenya)
17. Inclusivity and Resistance through Children’s Media with Trans Characters, Mara Sapon-Shevin (Syracuse University, USA) and Ashley Sullivan (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
18. Sex, Gender and the Future of Childhood, Jonathan Silin (University of Toronto, Canada) Harper B. Keenan (University of British Columbia, Canada) and Esther O. Ohito (Rutgers University, USA)
19. Religion and Spirituality as Intersectional Dimensions of Identity Within Children, Families, and Communities, Mona Abo-Zena (University of Massachusetts, USA)
20. Mirrors and Windows in the Elephant Garden: Self-reflection in Racial Justice Work in Early Childhood Education, Lucinda G. Heimer (University of Wisconsin, Whitewater, USA) and Vivian Randolph (The Elephant Garden, Indianapolis, IN, USA)
21. Identity Formation and the Role of the Early Childhood Educator, Toni Sturdivant (Texas A&M University, Commerce, USA)
Part III: Social Contexts: Praxis & Policy
Part III Introduction, Sara Michael Luna (University of Central Florida, USA), Brian L. Wright (University of Memphis, USA) and Marek Tesar (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
22. Early Childhood in Historical and Contemporary Perspective: The Role of Social Context, Vivian Gadsden (University of Pennsylvania, USA), Brian L. Wright (University of Memphis, USA) and Sara Michael Luna (University of Central Florida, USA),
23. Family-School Connections in a Global Society, Christine M. McWayne (Tufts University, USA)
24. Home and Community as Learning Contexts Perceptions from Parents and Families in Low-Income Urban Settings, Daris McInnis and Vivian L. Gadsden (University of Pennsylvania, USA)
25. Latinx Immigrant Parents' Perspectives on U.S. Schools and Learning, Kiyomi Sánchez-Suzuki Colegrove (Texas State University, USA) and Christian Zuñiga (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, USA)
26. Inciting Culturally Sustaining Praxis in Early Childhood Education Through Black Feminisms: Centering the Brilliance and Wisdoms of Black and Latinx Young Children and Educators, Kia S. Rideaux, Margarita Ruíz Guerrero and Michelle Salazar Pérez (University of North Texas, USA)
27. Assumptions of Criminality for Black Children in Early Learning, Idara Essien (San Diego State University, USA) and J. Luke Wood (San Diego State University, USA)
28. Emotionally-Responsive Teaching: Reconceptualizing Trauma-Informed Practices With Young Children, Travis Wright and Eric Crawford (University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA)
29. Agency, Equity, and Language Policy in US Borderland Preschool, Allison Henward and Kiyomi Masamune (Pennsylvania State University, USA)
30. Rethinking Preschool Assessment Practices, Lacey Peters (Hunter College, City University of New York, USA)
31. Childhoods within Children’s Social Movement in Colombia: The Child as a Subject of Rransformation, Anny Bertoli (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
32. Contesting Universal Assumptions Through Advocacy and Activism in Early Childhood Policy: How to Save Democracy, Sara Michael Luna and Anna V. Eskamani (University of Central Florida, USA)
Conclusion, Sara Michael Luna (University of Central Florida, USA), Brian L. Wright (University of Memphis, USA) and Marek Tesar (University of Auckland, New Zealand)
Index