<p>This article focuses on 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early childhood educators who responded to a question about reporting racial incidents as a ‘Serious Occurrence’ under guidelines mandated by the City of Toronto Children’s Services Division. We draw on critical race theory and colorblind theory in a discursive analysis of participants’ narratives. Results of this analysis suggest that participating early childhood professionals were reluctant to name and acknowledge incidents of racism in early learning environments, and engaged in discursive strategies that minimized and negated such incidents. Implications for the training and education of early childhood educators are noted and implications for provincial policy are discussed.</p>
<p>This article focuses on 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early childhood educators who responded to a question about reporting racial incidents as a ‘Serious Occurrence’ under guidelines mandated by the City of Toronto Children’s Services Division. We draw on critical race theory and colorblind theory in a discursive analysis of participants’ narratives. Results of this analysis suggest that participating early childhood professionals were reluctant to name and acknowledge incidents of racism in early learning environments, and engaged in discursive strategies that minimized and negated such incidents. Implications for the training and education of early childhood educators are noted and implications for provincial policy are discussed.</p>
Rachel Berman is an associate professor and graduate program director of early childhood studies at Ryerson University. Her areas of expertise include mothering, parenting, race in early childhood settings, feminist and critical race theory, social research with children, and critical qualitative inquiry. Email: rcberman@ryerson.ca Natalie Royer is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Early Childhood Studies at Ryerson University.
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<p>Psychological research on Canadian children and race has shown that young White and racialized children generally have a pro-White bias. While scholars have utilized developmental or social psychological explanations for this finding, none have used an antiracism lens to interpret children’s racial attitudes or to develop an antiracism pedagogy. To address this research gap, this article uses antiracism theory as an analytical tool to explore the social-historical processes that have affected how children evaluate racial differences and White identity. It also briefly proposes antiracism teaching practices specific to early childhood education settings. </p>
<p>Psychological research on Canadian children and race has shown that young White and racialized children generally have a pro-White bias. While scholars have utilized developmental or social psychological explanations for this finding, none have used an antiracism lens to interpret children’s racial attitudes or to develop an antiracism pedagogy. To address this research gap, this article uses antiracism theory as an analytical tool to explore the social-historical processes that have affected how children evaluate racial differences and White identity. It also brie y proposes antiracism teaching practices specfic c to early childhood education settings.</p>
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