‘What’s he doing that for? He’s a boy!’: Exploring gender and sexualities in an early childhood setting

Abstract

In young children's worlds, gender and sexualities are constantly policed. Who children play with, where they play and how they play are often subject to regulation by others to perpetuate 'normativity'. This colloquium draws on 'telling examples' from an in-progress study in an early childhood education setting in Aotearoa New Zealand. Examples of challenge and resistance show several children actively constructing and performing their gender in flexible and multiple ways, some of which contest/resist traditional and cultural norms and dominant discourses. The central argument is that 'doing gender' in relationship with others is complex work for children that can be better understood through the constructs of 'performativity' and 'working theories' jointly.

Moving toward gender fluid discourses in early childhood settings: ECEs share their experiences and ideas

“…There is an abundance of valuable literature written on the topic of gender in ECEC settings. This literature discusses the shortcomings of developmental theory in supporting children in their exploration and experiences of gender and recommends implementing alternative theories in order to help support children (See: Blaise, 2005;Blaise, 2009;Breneselović & Krnjaja, 2016;Gunn, 2011;Kelly-Ware, 2016;Lyttleton-Smith, 2017;Mackenzie & Talbott, 2018;Martin, 1998;Robinson, 2013;Stafford, 2016;Wingrave, 2018).…”

“…As a result of living within the heterosexual matrix, both peers and ECEs frequently reinforce the representations of heteronormative gender roles in early childhood settings. Due to the constant reproduction of these roles, they become known as 'truths' in the classroom (Kelly-Ware, 2016). Children are thus encouraged to maintain stereotypical gendered roles, which have proven to be highly exclusive.…”

Bodies in the early childhood education classroom: a Bourdieusian analysis of curricular materials

“…As Kelly-Ware (2016) points out in the context of ECE, heteronormativity is a dominant discourse that has a powerful influence on people's lives. For the author, girls and boys are capable of engaging in various gender performances related to the construction of their identities.…”

“…It is constructed based on their own lived experiences and their interest in fostering respect for equality and lack of discrimination. Taking into account that boys and girls process knowledge and information that supports them to make sense of new experiences during their ongoing inquiries into their lives and worlds (Kelly-Ware, 2016), and that in this process curricular materials transmit information about what it is like to be a girl or a boy, ECE teachers should be aware that the construction of their identity in the context of ECE is not neutral, but that 'certain ways of being, doing and saying become "truths" and are reinforced by peers, teachers and even absent parents and siblings' (Kelly-Ware, 2016, p. 149).…”

Early Childhood Educators’ Understandings of How Young Children Perform Gender During Unstructured Play

“…(Butler, 1990, p. 140) In Butler's performative theory, situating one's body through reenactments of stylized gendered modes emphasizes and reveals the tension young children potentially display in public spaces when faced with what is deemed acceptable. As Janette Kelly-Ware (2016) states, "who children are and how they perform who they are, that is, what they do, are also fashioned through the power of what is acceptable, desirable and rewarded" (p. 149). That is, hegemonic ideals of heteronormative masculine and feminine gendered identities can be limiting to those who do not categorize themselves within these fixed gender boundaries (Butler, 1990).…”