‘Do you want this?’ Exploring newcomer migrant girls’ peer reception in Norwegian day care: Experiences with social exclusion through the exchange of self-made artefacts

Abstract

SummaryNorway s population was in April 2016 estimated to be 5 223 300 persons (SSB, 2016b). The Norwegian Directorate of Integration and Diversity (IMDI), estimated that in 2015, 13% of the entire Norwegian population were people with a migration background (IMDI, 2016); many of these being preschool aged children. With 90.4% of all children between the ages of 1 and 5 participating in day care (SSB, 2016a); many migrant children are represented among the day care population. Even though the body of research in relation to diasporic, migrant and mobile childhoods is growing, there are reasons to be critical as much of it fails to capture the situated and contextualised nature of newcomer migrant children s negotiations of identity, home and belonging .In Norway, early childhood day care is promoted as one of the best integrational arenas in which migrant children (including those seeking asylum and refugees) can receive early intervention aimed at easing their transition into future school and society. However, with an intervention focus on future integration, entering an ethnic and culturally diverse early childhood environment, such as day care, can be cha llenging for many reasons. Accessing peer group interaction, whether play or other forms of social interaction, and becoming socially included, presupposes competencies that exceed the basic linguistic ability of saying hello .At an overall level, this thesis positions itself within the tradition of social work, addressing day care as an integrational and environment for newcomer migrant girls. The research approach is anchored within the interpretivist/constructionist research paradigm and in line with the underlying principles of the sociology of childhood. The theoretical background draws on but is not limited to sociology, cultu ral studies and social With particular interest on how, in everyday life, newcomer children s personal problems are interlaced with structural issues , the thesis highlights the complexity of in particular ii these two girls everyday social struggles, adapting to a highly dynamic and evolving environment. This thesis reveals the girls as being active participants in their multilayered and complex transition s characterised by continuous negotiations of identity, home and belonging.The overarching aim of this thesis is to contribute to the early childhood migration discourse, using its findings as a means to strengthen the care environment for newcomer migrant children and building respect for childhood diversity. Through detailed qualitative analysis of small sample sizes of selected empirical data, the data are used to illustrate aspects of the two newcomer girls everyday worlds. The four articles written for and presented within the thesis address the intersection between what facilitated the girls integration and inclusion in everyday social reality by highlighting how equal opportunities for integration and inclusion depended on not only the girls ability to negotiate identity, home and belonging with both peers and practiti...

Doświadczanie nierówności w statusie społecznym i bullyingu w środowisku szkolnym. Percepcja dzieci polskich imigrantów w Norwegii

“…al. 2012;Kalkman et al 2017;Olweus 2007;Sjursø et al 2015). zatem bullying (traktowany jako przejaw dyskryminacji) jest w norweskim środowisku szkolnym zjawiskiem aktualnym, ale nie nowym.…”

“…Dzieci muszą zmierzyć się w nowym kraju z różnymi wyzwaniami -m.in. zagrożeniem marginalizacją i dyskryminacją (Kalkman, Hopperstad, Valenta 2017;Kempny 2011), szokiem kulturowym (Strzemecka 2015;zob. Oberg 1960), zachwianym poczuciem bezpieczeństwa ekonomicznego rodziny (szczególnie w początkowej fazie post-migracyjnej; Hakkarainen 2018) czy dylematami związanymi z poczuciem tożsamości i przywiązania (Darvin, Norton 2014; Pustułka, Ślusarczyk, Strzemecka 2016), czyli rozterkami, które mają bezdyskusyjny wpływ na rozwój społeczny i emocjonalny oraz ich samopoczucie.…”

‘They need to … ’: Exploring practitioners’ attitudes in relation to newcomer migrant children’s needs in Norwegian day care

“…A growing body of international research addresses how migrant children are required to negotiate a position, thus proving to their peers and day care practitioners that they are competent social actors who are deeply embedded within the negotiations of alliances and friendships and transitions between home and day care (Devine, 2009;Devine et al, 2006;Kalkman, Hopperstad & Valenta, 2015;Kalkman, Hopperstad & Valenta, 2017;McGovern & Devine, 2016).…”

“…This research is based on an ethnographic study investigating the everyday social reality of two newcomer migrant girls in a Norwegian day care institution. Throughout the course of 9 months, participatory observation in both formal and informal settings was combined with participatory methods (see Kalkman et al, 2015; Kalkman et al, 2017). This supported the participants in reflecting and acting upon important aspects in relation to their immediate lives (Hart, 1992).…”

“…Throughout the course of nine months, participatory observation in both formal and informal settings was combined with participatory methods (see Kalkman, Hopperstad & Valenta 2015, 2017. This supported the participants in reflecting and acting upon important aspects in relation to their immediate lives (Hart, 1992).…”