Immigrant mothers crossing borders: nomadic identities and multiple belongings in early childhood education

Abstract

In a small-scale study we analyse the narratives of three recently-arrived immigrant mothers with young children, making use of child care. Drawing on post-foundational theories and third-wave feminism, the analysis of these narratives enables us to look at how issues of diversity, democracy and citizenship are shaped in micro-events of daily practice. The study shows how reciprocity may be shaped in what is fundamentally an asymmetrical relationship between child care staff and parents. In turn, this reciprocity facilitates the construction of nomadic or hybrid identities by these mothers, crossing several borders. Finally the study illustrates the importance of careful transitions between the home and the family and the interrelationships between public and private domains

Supporting (Super)Diversity in Early Childhood Settings

“…One can simply not assume anymore that an ethnic group corresponds to a language group, with a specific culture, or a specific social stratus. Identities today are multi-layered (gender, language, ethnicity, socio-economic status, family composition and other markers intersect in various ways), hyphenated (one can perfectly be from Moroccan descent and critical to specific aspects of that heritage) and nomadic (one can bring different layers of one's identity to the fore, depending on context and situation) (Vandenbroeck, Roets & Snoeck, 2009). The kaleidoscope of diversities is there to stay.…”

«Jeg savner barnet mitt». Møter mellom somaliske mødre og barnehagen

“…Pedagogene bør etterstrebe å skape et likeverdig klima der alle foreldres stemmer blir hørt, og vaere åpne for at meninger om hva som er god praksis er forskjellige og i endring (Vandenbroeck et al, 2009). Gjennom å la foreldrene få kjenne at deres bidrag og meninger er likeverdige og viktige, kan personalet vaere med på å myndiggjøre foreldrene, ivareta foreldremandatet og åpne opp for en forhandlingsarena i et nytt miljø (Barnehageloven, 2017;De Gioia, 2015).…”

‘Zijn Vlamingen dan ook niet goed geïntegreerd?’ - Een kruispuntanalyse van integratievertogen in Vlaanderen vanuit het standpunt van moeders zonder papieren

“…Als jij wordt uitgewezen komt iedereen op straat, ze gaan toch geen moeder met vier kinderen uitwijzen. ' De relaties die vrouwen zonder papieren onderhouden met mensen die wel (een aantal van) de dominante privileges (burgerschapsstatuut, wit, man, seculier, tweeverdiener) bezitten, zijn vaak asymmetrisch ( Vandenbroeck et al, 2009). De tweede vorm van netwerken, solidariteit met particulieren, is meestal de vorm die in onderzoek besproken wordt, of waar beleidsmakers op doelen.…”