Monocultural constructs: a transnational reflects on early childhood institutions

Authors

  • Jeanette Rhedding-Jones

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/tci.v4i2.18

Keywords:

Early childhood education, curriculum theory

Abstract

A critical monocultural focus seeks to uncover the problematics multiculturalism and anti-racism encounters. Ignoring the problems of what the majority is doing, and who within communities and institutions and small groups holds power, will not change curriculum practices, student enrolments, texts, literacies and assessment. Such changes are wanted by early childhood institutions with reconceptualising agendas, and by the related higher educations. Given the high percentage of children with ethnic minority backgrounds, and the high percentage of teacher-carers and lecturers from cultural majorities, pre-schooling and its higher education are out of step with today’s urban realities. Critical questions and answers here regard representation and reconstruction. As ways of working towards these the essay considers globalization and race, ethnicity and culture, language and self, postnationalism and transnationalism. It presents exemplifications from early childhood fields, to indicate how institutions continue to construct the monocultural. Thus the essay requests new professionalisms for anti-racist and critical multicultural practices, rather than allowing the glibness of multiculturalism to discursively produce yet another normalisation. Focusing on the monocultural instead of the multicultural is thus an overtly political practice.

Author Biography

Jeanette Rhedding-Jones

Professor Early Childhood Education

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Published

2007-11-15

Issue

Section

Articles