University of Suffolk Children and Childhoods Conference 2024 Abstracts

ABSTRACT BOOKLET

Children and Childhoods Conference 2024

10–11 JULY 2024

Keynote speaker: Professor Spyros Spyrou

Children as future-makers in a pluriversal world:

From defuturing to other possible worlds and ways of being WLT1, ground floor, Waterfront Building

11.00am–1.00pm | Panel One

Stream 1A — Global and Peripheral Childhoods

Drama-based pedagogy among marginalised children in India

Gopika Gopakumar Moothedath, University of Bath, UK

With the question “How can drama-based pedagogy be developed for preschool children in marginalized communities?”, my doctoral research intends to undertake an ethnography and co-creation of a drama-based pedagogy among marginalized preschool children in India. Through this presentation, firstly, I would like to discuss some of the issues that the literature projects around the learning of marginalized children in India. Literatures show that the disadvantaged, particularly tribal children, ‘find their school education irrelevant and foreign to their lives, both culturally and academically’ (NEP 2020). This creates a sense of estrangement and alienation (Kumar, 1985; Manojan 2019) resulting in their high dropout rates, absenteeism, and passive participation (Sundar, 2002). Later, I explore drama and its historical trajectory in India which shows how drama has been used politically by the powerless. This is followed by review of empirical research works around drama-based pedagogies as used in Indian educational context. I discuss the empirical works based on four dimensions or themes Role of Concept and Theory, Role of Space, Teacher-Student Dynamics, and Context (Moothedath, 2023). Finally, some of the gaps in the literature is discussed opening the possibility of using drama and conceptualising it to redress the alienated positioning of the marginalised.

Exploring the social construction of ‘child’ and ‘future’ in a global south context through narratives of experiences of secondary school students with their school administration staff in Lahore, Pakistan

Irum Maqbool, University of Cambridge, UK

Using Schutz (1970) lifeworld model I explore experiences of secondary school students with their schools’ administrative staff using narratives of children in local curriculum schools (n=16) and international curriculum schools (n=18) in Lahore. Drawing on writings discussing precarity and globalisation in the Global South, I explore children’s agency and identity formation as they navigate adult-child dyad in school spaces; unequally available to children in this context. Writings on schools in Pakistan support in highlighting social stratification, social mobility and patterns of coloniality important for understanding structural realities shaping the present and future of children in this context. Decolonial writings on identity formation and cosmopolitanism support in analysing the sociocultural and cosmopolitan meanings underpinning the student-administration relationship. Through thematic analysis of interviews I illustrate the differences and similarities in the relationship students across both schools have with their administrative staff. I argue that sociocultural meaning of ‘child’ and ‘adult’ underpins experiences. While this benefits some, others are disadvantaged. Students in international curriculum schools who shared exploring their agency by pursuing creativity and leadership navigated barriers to forming a cosmopolitanising identity; an identity they believed advantaged them in aspiring for a global future. Analysing these findings through a decolonial lens, I offer insight into structures, relationships and experiences that maintain, reproduce, and offer resistance to a social construction of ‘child’. I reflect on lived

experiences and future-making of children in the Global South which contribute insights into the ‘location’ of ‘childhood’ and ‘future’ important for understanding identity, relationships and pathways available here.

Category construction and knowledge production in childhood studies: Rethinking ‘leftbehind children’ through the case of ‘Liushou

children’ in China

Kaidong Guo, University College London, UK and Spyros Spyrou, European University Cyprus, Cyprus

Narratives about children whose parents have migrated exhibit a common global trend, with these children and their families being widely pathologised, creating a stereotyped image of this group. Hence, it is timely and necessary to interrogate the category construction of left-behind children and the politics surrounding the knowledge produced. This presentation explores the global construction and widespread stigmatisation of leftbehind children through the lens of a postcolonial critique and criticises the hegemonic notion of childhood promoted primarily by the Global North. It then explores the indigenous category of ‘liushou children’ for left-behind children in China — revealing its cultural expectations and Indigenous construction. Although the pathologisation of such children occurs in both global and indigenous dimensions, the understanding and causation of such pathologisation differs since diverse actors often present different understandings of this phenomenon, which refract different expectations, moral and value judgements, or political motivations. Therefore, this presentation calls for research on the lives of these children in the context of global economic and social structural shifts and how these are reshaped in local and national dimensions. In so doing, it provides insights into ongoing debates on the politics and ethics of knowledge production in childhood studies.

Stream 1B — Children’s Rights, Voice and Participation 1

Countering the costs of school uniform

Rachel Shanks, University of Aberdeen, UK

School uniform has different impacts on children depending on their family’s socio-economic situation and their individual circumstances such as additional support needs, disability, race and/or religion. It creates a gender divide and can cause difficulties for transgender pupils. There are financial costs when uniforms are not affordable and social and emotional costs if wearing a school uniform makes children uncomfortable or is discriminatory. In England, Northern Ireland and Wales national school uniform guidance emphasises affordability and reviews of exclusive supplier arrangements. In Scotland there is a national minimum school clothing grant for primary schools (£120) and secondary schools (£150), but the Children’s Society has found that UK families spent an annual average of £287 for primary and £442 for secondary school uniform. In 2023 Freedom of Information (FOI) responses from the 32 local authorities in Scotland were analysed alongside an online survey sent to school uniform banks and other organisations that provide school clothing (n=11). From the FOIs it was found that there has been a drop in the number of children awarded school clothing grant in 2022–2023 while at the same time rates of child poverty have increased. School uniform banks report increased demand and difficulties that are created for families through policies that for example, require items with logos or do not consider pupils’ sensory needs. The presentation includes recommendations for national and local government and schools.

Dragged kicking and screaming: Agency and violence for children entering secure accommodation

Jen Lyttleton-Smith, Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK

This paper considers how contemporary reconceptualisations of children’s agency can reframe vulnerable children’s anti-social or violent actions as produced within and through relational dynamics of children, adults, and institutional powers, challenging narratives of causal responsibility. Children entering secure

accommodation, also known as ‘secure care’, are prevented from exercising free choice over most aspects of everyday life. This paper focuses on the relationship between agency and violence during transference to and early time in secure accommodation. Sharing interview extracts from 11 young people with experience of secure care as children, we explore how the routine processes of ‘suppressing’ children’s agency supports the emergence of violence. We argue that the manner of transfer to secure accommodation creates a violent encounter that forces children’s emotion and agency to redirect and intensify onto the self and others as further violence. The paper employs contemporary global childhood theory to problematise notions of agency being bestowed or removed from children, questioning the manner in which children’s rights discourse sometimes manifests in practice contexts with marginalised children.

Exploration of how professionals support young people and advocate for children’s rights

Amanda Hatton, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

This will be a presentation of early findings from a small-scale project undertaking research with Youth Voice and Influence Service workers, and the young people that the staff support. This research will be carried out with two different groups of young people, members of the Youth Cabinet, and a group for young people with special educational needs or disabilities. The methods will include a creative drawing activity, where the young people will draw their ideal worker, to discuss and identify what they want from a worker, for example knowledge, training, experience, personal attributes and how workers can support them, support their rights and what workers need to understand to be able to support young people. This will be followed by a focus group discussion so that they can share their views. They will also have the opportunity to complete a questionnaire to gather individual responses. I will also use a questionnaire with practitioners to find out more about these aspects from a practitioner perspective, so for example to find out about how best they advocate for children’s rights, educate them about their rights, and how this is done in practice. The presentation will be based on early analysis of both the practitioners and the young people’s perspectives to gain an insight into practical ways professionals can support young people’s rights and the key aspects of the ethos of how they support them. The insight from the young people will be what aspects of support are most important to them and what they feel workers need to understand to be able to support young people with their rights.

They should know — intergenerational human rights education using children’s literature

Rowena Seabrook, University of Glasgow and The Open University, UK

This presentation will explore the role children’s literature can play in human rights education and the value of engaging with intergenerational participants for fostering rights-respecting knowledge, skills and behaviours. It will be structured around the perspectives of children who took part in a blended online-offline research study during the pandemic. The Discovery Book Club brought pairs of family members into ‘communion’ (Thayer-Bacon, 1993) with children’s books on human rights themes. The presentation will discuss participants’ assertions that adults “should” know what children’s rights are and therefore uphold them, and that children should know that they are entitled to respect and what behaviours are discriminatory. These will be shared in light of the children’s evaluation of the role different types of texts can play in increasing knowledge about rights and motivating action to create change. Reflections will also be offered on how engaging in ‘booktalk’ (Chambers, 2011), ‘human rights thinking’ (Jerome, Liddle and Young, 2021), and creative responses led to the shifting of ‘enabling’ (Chambers, 2011) roles between child and adult participants. This allowed for adults to develop their own knowledge, skills and behaviour with, and with the help of, child participants. Finally, it will be argued that the role of joy was central to the quality and outcomes of the project. In particular, the pleasure, intimacy and agency experienced by participants also led to productive ‘disturbance’ (Bennett, 2001). This included exhibiting vulnerability and discomfort which contributed to critical questioning and reflection on participants’ relationships to human rights.

Stream 1C — Contemporary Families

Institutional support for single mothers and their relation to parental attitudes in China and the UK

Yu Zhao, University of Essex, UK

This presentation is a theoretical-empirical contribution to children’s experiences of parental separation in contemporary families, incorporating some of the recent debates in childhood studies on the way that children negotiate their generational position within different households. Lone parenthood is a widespread family phenomenon in the UK and China. I will explore how institutional support and social networks for single mothers affect their parental attitudes and children’s social-emotional development in both countries. I will draw on focus groups and psychosocial interviews that were conducted with twelve single mothers (six from each country), critically exploring the range of parental support available. I focus on some of the important tensions generated in the family transition stage in single-mother households, examining changes in family dynamics, children’s behavioural and emotional responses and mother-child adaptation in different social contexts. The theoretical approach of this study takes a critical review of attachment theory, one that has traditionally overemphasised an individualised psychological dynamic between mother-child interactions. The relational concepts of habitus and capitals from Pierre Bourdieu’s theoretical perspective are used to integrate the societal dynamic that influences mother-child relationships. My findings suggest that children’s domestic practices display more adult qualities, such as taking care of family members and doing household chores; they have developed a more sophisticated repertoire of emotions compared to peers and are more capable of dealing with complex family situations. Children therefore are the opposite of the traditional view of childhood as innocent, carefree, enjoying play and being excluded from the adults’ public arena.

Adoptive parents with birth children: How the adoption of a child from care may impact their biologically

related child

Jennifer Ginger, University of Oxford, UK

Approximately 75% of children adopted from care in England have been abused or neglected by their birth families prior to adoption (DfE, 2021). The impact on that child of their early experience can be lifelong and may manifest itself in numerous behaviours which bring complex challenges to family life. This study brings together the views of parents and adoption social workers and explores how adoption may impact the parents’ birth children. Adoption social workers were found to hold strong views that could be inconsistent and contradictory about placing a child for adoption in a family where there is an existing birth child. These views varied depending on their role, practice wisdom and their previous experience of working with families. Many parents believed that the adoption process had left their family with unmet needs when preparing for a child to join their family, whilst social workers believed that parents had held unrealistic expectations of adoption and of the children. Based on doctoral research, and professional experience in supporting adoptive families, this presentation will explore how assumptions and beliefs about parenting can shape social work practice and adoptive families’ experience.

Embedding participatory research with children and young people experiencing parental conflict in family support work

Dimi Kaneva, University of Huddersfield, UK and Elizabeth Woolley, Fresh Futures and University of Huddersfield, UK

Family work around parental conflict and resolution tend to focus on adult perspectives and support. As childhood scholars we adopt a view that foregrounds the lived experiences of parental conflict of children and young people. We explore the impact of lower-level conflict, particularly at the early stages and when

it becomes an ongoing issue potentially leading to family separation with negative outcomes for children. Low-level conflict is generally issue-focused, it impacts children’s wellbeing through its nature, frequency and intensity. It can escalate over time leading to challenges in working together with parents to resolve issues and thus impacting on children’s overall wellbeing and functioning within the family and beyond. In this presentation, we will discuss our justification for using participatory, creative and child-centred methods for eliciting and documenting the lived experiences and voices of children and young people experiencing parental conflict. We will focus on the complexity of designing appropriate methodological strategies to work with participants on sensitive topics through reflecting on the collaborative nature of the project and expertise of the team. We will present early results from our Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) project between the University of Huddersfield and Fresh Futures and will consider their wider potential to influence practice with families experiencing parental conflict.

Stream 1D — Policy, Intervention and Evaluation

Portuguese pupils’ views

of how to improve their school experience

Eva Lopes Fernandes and Maria Assunção Flores, University of Minho, Portugal

This paper looks at pupils’ views regarding their school and their learning experience. Data are drawn from a wider project developed within the context of a partnership between a public university and a Priority Intervention Education Territory (TEIP) school cluster in Northern Portugal. This project aims to encourage pupils’ reflection and participation in their school and learning improvement. The project is based on the idea of pupils as key informants in understanding school dynamics and improving teaching and learning. Literature highlights pupils’ proficiency in grasping the attitudes, intentions and behaviour of teachers and other educational stakeholders. On the one hand, pupils are highly skilled in understanding attitudes, intentions, and behaviours. On the other, teachers, by obtaining feedback from pupils, may improve their practices, enhance the quality of their relationship with pupils, identify potential learning barriers, and foster the emergence of new ideas and projects. Ultimately, the school also benefits from these new ideas for its improvement. Data were collected through the production of collective murals and a “creative suggestion box to improve the school”, involving 76 students from primary and secondary education. Good practices and ethics in educational research with children were taken into consideration. Preliminary findings point to key areas of action for school improvement, including improving physical infrastructures, changing schedules of classes and breaks, and expanding and enhancing the nature of educational activities and strategies.

Approaches to monitoring, evaluation and learning of early childhood innovations — sharing learning from Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Uganda

Minha

Khan, University of Cambridge, UK and Ursula Hankinson, Global Schools Forum, UK

Quality early years development and education is one of the best investments for eliminating extreme poverty and improving life outcomes. Early childhood experiences have a profound impact on brain development — affecting learning, health, behaviour, and ultimately, productivity and income (World Bank, 2023). This has been recognised with the inclusion of target 4.2 in the Sustainable Development Goals, that by 2023 ‘all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education’ (UN, 2015). With this focus has been an increase in the development of tools to monitor and evaluate the access to and quality of early childhood interventions (Brookings, 2017). However, the development of academic and research tools has not supported the implementation and utilization of data and evidence among innovators in the sector. Organisations operating early childhood programmes in low and middle-income countries have limited partnerships with governments or research institutions developing monitoring tools, and practitioners are often left reinventing the wheel in silos. Where practitioners can access national or global monitoring and evaluation tools, there are often challenges to contextualise them to be relevant and meaningful. There is also often a gap between what is being measured and what is useful to drive learning and improvement at a programme level, leading to missed opportunities

to use data to improve impact. This paper presents findings from a learning session conducted with three early childhood organizations in east Africa but delivering a diverse range of programmes and implementing monitoring and evaluation activities in different ways: Lively Minds, Street Child, and Tiny Totos. The paper comments on the utilization of RCTs, maintaining and tracking impact beyond trials, incorporating play-based learning to MEL approaches, and programme quality data, continuous improvement and social franchising. Collectively, it provides us with understanding into the various ways in which early childhood interventions and impact can be measured sustainably in low-resourced areas, contributing to existing literature on the importance of ECD and education evaluation.

Stream 1E — Workshop

Young people leading the journey: Our young researcher training programme (YRTP) Naomi Leonard, University of Southampton, UK

Our Young Researcher Training Programme (YRTP) arose out of the recognition that if we are going to produce meaningful research that will benefit young people in the future, we need young people to tell us what is important to them and to work with us to decide what the research should be, how it should be carried out and how it should be communicated in the real world. To do this, we need young people to be skilled in carrying out research, so that it is useful for all.

Our YRTP begins with engaging young people aged 14–18 in considering what their research questions might be for the remainder of our 12-session project. Young people embark on a “Plausible Futures” exercise. They are asked to explore scenarios of what their future might look like based upon pre-determined axes that represent continuums of boundaries shaping the likely futures for young people (Hutton et al., 2021). This results in a matrix which describes four future “plausible worlds”. In discussion, young people, place themselves at the intersection of the axes at various timepoints: where they believe they are today, where they believe they would be if their life journey follows their current trajectory — i.e., if nothing changes / ‘Business as Usual’ and finally where they would actually, plausibly, like to be at the future date. This generates a rich discussion of the opportunities and challenges facing young people in realising what they want for their futures and how they can achieve them. By delivering “Session 1: What is research?” in a workshop, we hope to generate a discussion

about futures and how young people can start to think about how they might elicit change. We will deliver a PowerPoint outlining our YRTP: showcasing the whole programme and how our young people have co-created it. We will then run our Plausible Futures activity as an example of a YRTP session, and how we framed the discussion for young people so that they could formulate their research questions. We will provide large pieces of paper and marker pens, and participants will then identify their plot(s) on the pre-prepared axis. A facilitator will explain the process and guide participants; asking those who feel comfortable to explain the reasoning behind their specific plot mark to do so. We’d like to use this opportunity to gain feedback on our YRTP and how participants think it might be best evaluated. We hope to engage and inspire those with links to education and young people, to disseminate the YRTP to such audiences. We aim to see schools embed YRTP in their curriculums, to assist students embarking on Extended Project Qualifications and Higher Project Qualifications — so to have conversations about this with attendees would be excellent.

1.00–2.00pm

| Poster Presentations

Research with children: Ethical dilemmas regarding practice in the Chinese context

Kaidong Guo, Hanrui Li and Jiayi Cai, University College London

This study deeply explored the complex ethical issues of conducting children’s research in the Chinese context through six focus group discussions on different topics. It involves 30 participants who have close contact with children, such as child researchers, social practitioners affiliated with NGOs, and schoolteachers. Taking informed consent as starting point, this study analyses the impact of Confucian culture on children’s participation rights in research, particularly emphasising how children are protected and limited in the differential mode of association, like the influential role of school headmasters and child-adult power relations. Additionally, this study examines the inadaptation of applying ethical guidelines generated by Western individualism in the Chinese collectivist setting by discussing the unique ethical dilemmas encountered by Western-educated researchers when conducting research with children in China. As such, this study aims to contribute to the discussion on adapting research methodologies and ethics in child research to different cultural settings while enriching the discourse of decolonisation of ethical guidelines.

2.00–4.00pm | Panel Two

Stream 2A — Pedagogies and Children’s Skills

Interdisciplinarity in children’s studies teaching: Tensions and transcendences

Julie Spray, University of Galway, Ireland

Interdisciplinary approaches to knowledge transfer and production have been increasingly promoted for the perceived problem-solving, ethical or cognitive benefits of combining multiple ontologies. The undergraduate Children’s Studies programme at the University of Galway, created in 2016, offers a multi-dimensional understanding of childhood to students who intend to work with children professionally. Students take courses grounded in a wide array of disciplinary approaches, including public health, anthropology, sociology, psychology, literature, critical pedagogies, philosophy, children’s rights, law, policy, and history. Such a model presents novel opportunities for knowledge production and transfer, but also generates numerous ontological, epistemic, power-knowledge and pedagogical tensions. While a substantial body of literature has interrogated the nature of interdisciplinary scholarship and teaching, fewer studies have probed the unique affordances and limitations of interdisciplinary programmes as pertains to the interdisciplinary field of childhood studies. As a case study, Galway’s Children’s Studies programme offers a useful opportunity to explore conceptual and practical questions about interdisciplinarity in higher education and related implications for the future of scholarship about childhoods. In this presentation, I analyse what such tensions have looked like in the context

of children’s studies, while showcasing the novel spaces transdisciplinary teaching can open up for the study of childhoods. Using comic form, I share a framework and visual-conceptual language designed to orient staff and student understandings of what it means to be teaching and learning in an interdisciplinary programme. Finally, I offer practical suggestions for navigating interdisciplinary teaching and learning and turning tensions into transcendences.

Killing fairies with magic: Why I teach children to code

Hannah Steventon, University of Suffolk, UK

In this enchanting talk, Hannah delves into the transformative realm of teaching children the language of code as an accessible key to unlock the mysteries of technology. Drawing inspiration from historical creativity such as the Cottingley Fairies images, she embarks on her own journey to encounter the impact of technology demystification. Hannah passionately shares her experiences guiding children to wield the power of code and physical computing, allowing them to unravel the veil surrounding their technology. The talk emphasises the notion that tech is not governed by mystical fairies or mischievous elves but by an interaction of comprehensible hardware and software. Children, through learning creative physical computing and coding, not only gain the ability to manipulate existing technology, but also become creators and controllers of their own digital landscapes. The narrative extends beyond the immediate experiences, referencing literary works such as Terry Pratchett’s and Neil Stephenson’s, where technology and fantasy combine. From coding projects that take over computers on in the International Space Station, to the creation of a fire-breathing, wingflapping, tail-twisting dragon zoo, via the creation of junk robots roaming school corridors, the talk showcases the incredible potential that children unleash when equipped with the tools to code and make creatively. Ultimately, the talk champions the idea that by demystifying technology through learning coding, children become powerful makers, shaping and navigating their digital worlds with confidence and creativity.

Empowering disadvantaged youth: A capabilities approach to assessing sports-based education programmes in England and Wales Claire Paterson-Young, Ecem Karlıidağ-Dennis and Richard Hazenberg, University of Northampton, UK

Children and young people categorised as Not in Education Employment or Training (NEET) is a prevalent issue in the United Kingdom and across Europe, with research showing that approximately 10.2% (16–24-yearolds) of young people in England and Wales are NEET (Office for National Statistics, 2022). Children and young people who are NEET often lack the skills to improve their economic situation and live below the poverty line. The purpose of the presentation is to examine the role of sports-based education in enhancing the outcomes of disadvantaged young people engaged in programmes. It utilises data from semi-structured interviews and focus groups with children and young people and adult stakeholders engaged with a sport-based educational programme in England. It draws on the Capabilities Approach to understand how sports-based education programmes can create tangible change for children and young people by empowering young people’s agency through sports-based values. This presentation seeks to explore how sports-based education programmes, founded on the values of sport, can empower young people to identify their key functionings. The findings from our research indicate that children and young people joining the programme are not likely to have the same capabilities to achieve the same outcomes (or securing well-paid employment) than their peers from more advantaged backgrounds, demonstrating the importance of such programmes in enhancing the outcomes of children and young people. Through outlining the benefits of sports-based programmes for children and young people, this presentation provides practical solutions to supporting disadvantaged young people in society.

Stream 2B — Identity, Belonging and ‘Otherness’

This is who I am — emerging identities of children and young people in residential childcare (findings and reflections from a study in Scotland) Robin

Dallas-Childs, University of Dundee, UK

This presentation will focus on findings from my doctoral study that sought to explore how children and young people’s (CYP) experiences of being in residential childcare (RCC) care affected their senses of self and identity. In Scotland, reflecting patterns elsewhere in Europe most young people in RCC are teenagers, many with experiences of abuse or neglect prior to care. In this study I investigated the ways in which 13 participants (aged 12–27, in care and care leavers), undertook the task of self and identity development. In drawing broadly on sociological and philosophical literature, this research offers an illuminating contrast to psychological and treatment paradigms that dominate the RCC sector. The presentation will focus on three outcomes: First, CYP in RCC emerged as active agents in the creation of extended communities and networks of support, drawing on concepts of family and home to create a sense of belonging that lasted beyond care. I propose that Axel Honneth’s account of the struggle for social recognition is a helpful way to conceptualise young people’s journeys to a coherent sense of self. Second, relationships with ‘character role models’ that lasted beyond care were the primary conduit for the development of an enduring positive and coherent sense of self. Given the right support, young people were able to reclaim previously stigmatised understandings of themselves as young people ‘in care’. Finally, CYP being supported to make sense of missing parts of their stories was a pre-requisite to a positive, securer sense of self and a sense of who they might become. The presentation will conclude with a reflection on the implications of the findings for those working directly with CYP in care, and the positive role that RCC can play in children’s development.

Canvas of belonging: Art as a mediator in migrant children’s narratives of identity and place

Haoyue Guo, University of Manchester, UK

This presentation explores how participatory artistic practices facilitate the expression of identity and belonging among rural-urban migrant children in Guangzhou’s urban villages. These areas, where rural life merges with urban sprawl, offer a distinctive setting to understand the multifaceted socio-spatial dynamics influencing migrant children. The study examines how thirty 7–12-year-old children express their experiences and connections to their new urban environments through art-based activities. Utilising techniques such as map-painting, collage-making, and three-dimensional model construction, the children crafted visual narratives that articulate their perceptions of their surroundings and personal identities. Findings suggest that participatory art not only enables children to depict their spatial and social landscapes but also empowers them to communicate their hopes, emotions, and challenges. This method transcends linguistic limitations, offering children a platform to express their intricate relationships with their surroundings. This study highlights the efficacy of creative practices in empowering migrant children to shape their narratives and influence their futures. By detailing the transformative potential of these artistic engagements, the presentation advocates for their integration into urban planning and child-centric policies, ensuring that children’s voices are heard and valued in shaping the environments they inhabit.

Service children: Identity, belonging and otherness

Lucy Robinson, University of Oxford, UK

Service children are a unique group within society. They are identified by virtue of their parent’s (or parents’) occupation and their lives are shaped by the occupational requirements of the Armed Forces. Service children are more likely to move (home and school) than their civilian peers and parental separation (such as weekending and deployment) is common amongst service families. Alongside these experiences of mobility

and separation, being part of an armed forces family results in the creation of a distinct ‘service child identity’, which can further set them apart from their peers. In this presentation, based on my ongoing doctoral research, I will explore, using service children’s words and drawings, their thoughts, feelings and experiences of being a service child. Insodoing, I shall look in greater depth at two interrelated aspects. Firstly, how service children have conceptualised their ‘service child identity’ and how this has differed within the group. Secondly, how service children have reflected on their experiences of belonging within their military community and experiences of ‘otherness’ within their school environments. I shall draw together these insights to encourage the audience to think critically about how children can simultaneously experience both belonging and ‘otherness’ as they move through and develop within the differing spaces, broadly defined as ‘home’ and ‘school’.

Educating marginal childhoods in India: Dominant discourses and exclusionary dynamics

Vijitha Rajan, Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, India

This presentation delves into questions of identity, belonging, and otherness concerning marginal childhoods and their education in India. It draws upon observations and insights from three distinct empirical studies. Ethical considerations, including consent, anonymity, and COVID protocols, were carefully maintained across studies. The first ethnographic study focused on migrant children residing in squatter settlements in Bengaluru city. Spanning 13 months in 2017–18, fieldwork involved 88 children aged 7 to 12 from three NGO schools. The study reveals how identity construction in educational settings around ‘shed makkalu’ (shed children, i.e., children living in squatter settlements), based on the socio-spatial location of the migrant child, legitimizes the exclusion of these children from schooling. The second ethnographic study, funded by TESF-UKRI-ESRC, was conducted in a South Delhi slum for six months in 2022; it concentrated on 22 Dalit children, aged 5 to 17. Inter alia, the study reveals how children transitioning from private to government schools, post-pandemic, lose their sense of belonging to the city and school. In the third ongoing exploratory case study, funded by Azim Premji University, with children from a marginalized tribe living in Seppa town of Arunachal Pradesh, we observe that children’s ethnic identity is used as a trope to not only otherize them but also to characterize the community as uncivilized and uneducable. Initial fieldwork in 2023 engaged with community members and education functionaries in the study area. Observations from these studies point to structural patterns of how educational access and inclusion of marginalized groups have been addressed in the Indian context.

Stream 2C — Children’s Digital Lives and Images of Childhood

Defining the kid in kidtech: Roblox and the neoliberal nexus of play

Natalie

Coulter, York University, UK

The KidTech industry has grown exponentially in the past few years and has radically changed the landscape of the children’s entertainment industry, all racing to be the next Amazon with the vision of becoming a kids’ “metaverse”. At the same time, brands and intellectual properties scramble to be part of these digital spaces. The shape of these spaces will have a dramatic impact on the shape of children’s media, on children’s lives and on future definitions of the child subject. My paper beings with the question, what is the kid in KidTech? I argue that the kid is an entrepreneur, in the most neoliberal sense. The kid is positioned by KidTech as an “imagined neoliberal subject of the creative child worker” (Knotts 2022), always ready to create content and produce value for digital corporations under the guise of fun and play. Using Roblox as an example of KidTech, I explore how kid’s content creation, social networks and fandoms fuel the inertia of the corporate growth of companies like Roblox, but in ways that ultimately shape children’s play, their experiences and what it means to be a child.

Expanding the area of childhood?

Maciej Wróblewski, Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland

Neil Postman’s seminal work, The Disappearance of Childhood, a cornerstone in childhood studies, was published in 1982. The paper explores Postman’s notion of childhood as a sociocultural phenomenon within contemporary media, focusing on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. While Postman’s renowned book emerged during the television era’s peak in American society, his core insights into the direct relationships between media and generational dynamics remain pertinent. However, the consequences of these connections have evolved in today’s digital landscape. Primarily, young people engage actively with social media, contributing to the formation of contemporary culture. Their involvement extends to social processes such as environmental advocacy, cultural creation, and the initiation of social trends. Secondly, the advent of new media, particularly social platforms, empowers young people to shape their branding and identity. This diverse expression enhances their position within the hierarchical structures of the network society (Sonia Livingstone Young People and New Media. Childhood and the Changing Media Environment 2002; Manuel Castells Communication power 2009). Thirdly, new media very aggressively penetrate childhood and profoundly changes young people’s lives. In light of these changes, Neil Postman’s concept of the disappearance of childhood necessitates reassessment, as young individuals currently engage more actively with the media environment than their predecessors. Social media facilitates heightened activity and empowers the younger generation to create cultural artifacts similar to those crafted by adults. The consequences of this participation have not yet been clearly defined.

Children, technology and the future: Centring young people’s perspectives in re-imagining schools for transformative change

Louise Couceiro, Laura Hakimi, Valentina Andries and Rebecca Eynon, University of Oxford, UK

The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated existing educational inequities and led to a rapid shift in schools’ dependence on technologies. As researchers, educators, and policy makers aim to reimagine schools in an era characterised by digital technologies; the views, experiences and expectations of children themselves, and the kinds of educational futures they want have been an under researched focus. Drawing on five indepth ethnographies of secondary schools in England, including student interviews, classroom observations, and futures-thinking workshops, this paper takes a holistic approach to exploring children’s opinions, hopes, and concerns about technology and the future of schools in ways that recognise their local contexts and community. How do children view the potential risks and opportunities afforded by technological development? What school futures do they imagine and how does — or not — technology factor within these imaginings? Beyond sharing insights into the project’s findings relating to questions such as these, the presentation also reflects on some of the challenges and possibilities of seeking to encourage young people to engage in futures-thinking. Futures thinking can be difficult and complex. It is not easy to envision future possibilities and eventualities, and to make sense of one’s feelings in relation to these. Nevertheless, doing so can encourage thinking beyond existing norms and towards new avenues of possibility, and can help support children to feel empowered to play an active role in shaping their own and others’ futures, forming a central component of transformative change.

Media, movement and liberation: How Palestinian children educate and resist

We’am Hamdan, Cambridge University, UK

In the context of the Palestinian liberation movement, this presentation examines the portrayal of Palestinian children on popular social media platforms, crucial for articulating resistance narratives. It explores these children’s representation in the digital realm, considering the ethical implications amid ongoing ethnic cleansing and resistance against Zionist settler-colonialism in Palestine. The presentation will use content analysis to study how Palestinian children, particularly in Gaza, narrate their lives on social media (e.g. TikTok or Instagram), contrasting these self-narratives with depictions by various media entities. This approach aims to

reveal how children’s self-representations contribute to the broader liberation narrative, challenging hegemonic media narratives. Drawing on Said’s concepts of Orientalism and Fanon’s decolonization theory, the analysis will interrogate media representations’ colonial underpinnings. It will assess how media narratives of Palestinian children either perpetuate or challenge colonial legacies and power dynamics, considering the role of social media as a platform for authentic self-expression. The inclusion of Palestinian children’s personal accounts offers a perspective often missing in mainstream media, humanising their experiences and challenging dominant narratives. This presentation highlights the importance of ethical, respectful media practices that prioritise Palestinian children’s voices. It argues for recognising these children not just as subjects of conflict represented as mere numbers, but as active participants in shaping their narrative of resistance and liberation, thus contributing significantly to the liberation movement.

Stream 2D — Children’s Rights, Voice and Participation 2

Unheard voices: The role of children in the reinterpretation and transmission of religious views

Claudia Andreatta, Istituto Universitario Salesiano Venezia, Italy

Traditionally, sociology — especially Italian one — has devoted little attention to the religious life of children. Furthermore, in Italy in particular, also children’s voices in the Catholic environment are still scarcely acknowledged. The connection of this issues allows to shed light into a new field of investigation. Firstly, it is important to explore how children describe their religious life and the sense they attribute to their practice: crucial in this sense are the processes of re-interpretation and the individualisation of religious practice. Thus, a better knowledge of this aspect can also have important consequences for understanding religious transformation in the later stages of children’s lives, such as the transition to pre-adolescence and adolescence itself. A second main research goal intend to enable children as actors in the studies of religious practices. The research uses a multi-method approach. This made possible to combine qualitative approaches such as ethnographic observation and focus groups, and quantitative approach as the sample survey. In particular, the presentation will offer insights from a participant observation led in two different Venice Parishes during children’s courses in preparation for their First Communion. The research explores the role of children in the re-interpretation of religious values and in the transmission of them not only in the family of origin but also in peer’s environment. Emphasis is placed on the need to give children a voice when dealing with religious topics, considering their ability to reinterpret reality and ask critical questions to adults.

Constructions of agency in children’s cultural and linguistic brokering practices

Rebecca Crutchley, University of Chester, UK

Constructions of children’s agency have been a dominant arena for discussion since the emergence of the ‘new’ paradigm of childhood in the 1990s (James and Prout, 1997). Cross-disciplinary studies recognise the varying social, cultural and temporal influences upon perceptions of childhood and the impact of such constructions on how children’s agency is understood and realised. Many of the definitions of agency reflect Article 12 of the UNCRC (UNESCO, 1989), which states the child’s right to be involved in decisions affecting them. However, Article 12 is prone to subjective adult interpretation predicated on assumptions of competence and capability. Furthermore, the presumed relationship between children’s involvement in decision making as an indicator of agency can be misleading. This presentation will argue that children’s agency is a poorly defined concept, whose lack of clarity contributes to children being constrained as active change agents within and beyond contexts which directly affect them. Using the context of child language brokers, the presentation will argue that despite offering children the ‘socio-culturally mediated capacity to act’ (Ahearn, 2001, p. 112, in Gyogi, 2014, p. 2), brokering practices are frequently perceived to take place in response to adult-determined

objectives, rather than in contexts freely chosen by the child, thereby compromising their agentic potential. Furthermore, Global North paradigms of ‘good childhoods’ position children’s language brokering as inevitably burdensome, thereby denying the influence of such practices in both the domestic and public sphere.

Looking

into the implementation of the convention of the rights of the child in Indonesia

Athifah Utami, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain

“Semoga hak kami selalu diperhatikan oleh negara” — “Hopefully our rights are always considered by the state” representation of a wish from the children in Indonesia written on the cover page of the report. It is challenging to live as a child in a developing country that considers the fulfillment of children’s rights is not as crucial as the speedy improvement of the economic sector. However, by signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1990, and through the ratification by Presidential Decree, Indonesia has been obligated to follow and implement the convention (Save the Children, 2010, p.1). This presentation focuses on a brief discussion of the implementation mechanism of CRC in national (and regional) level and review of some children’s rights issues reported during 1997 to 2022, especially rights to education (Article 28 in the CRC), leisure and play (Article 31 in the CRC) in relation to social (economical, cultural, and political) factors. The implementation mechanism of CRC into Indonesia’s national law depends on and influenced by the dualism system, in which the international law cannot be directly employed in a legal process without passing through the translation procedure (into national law) (Save the Children, 2010, p.11). Furthermore, in education aspect, based on the current national data set from Direktorat Jenderal PAUD dan Dikmas (2020), Indonesia has a national program named Satu Desa Satu PAUD (Pendidikan Anak Usia Dini) or in English known as One Village One ECE (Early Childhood Education), has a purpose to increase the affordance to get an education in the early stage for children who live in any regions in Indonesia.

Pupils’ perceptions about leadership and their school experience

Eva Lopes Fernandes, Orlanda Tavares, Diana Pereira, Fernando Ilídio Ferreira and Maria Assunção Flores, University of Minho, Portugal

This paper draws on data drawn from a wider project funded by the National Foundation for Science and Technology titled “IMPACT — Investigating the impact of school leadership on pupils’ outcomes” (PTDC/ CEDEDG/28570/2017). Data were collected through 13 focus groups with pupils (year 4 to year 12) from different school contexts, with a total of 74 participants. The age range of the participants was between 9 to 17 years, 43 of them were female while 31 were male. This paper aims to explore the complex dynamics of leadership within schools and its impact on pupils’ perceptions and satisfaction. Data was analysed using MAXQDA, version 24, employing thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and themes. Key emerging themes point to the central role of leadership in shaping pupils’ school experience. Findings suggest a perceived leadership hierarchy centred around the headteacher, while also highlighting a collaborative decision-making process involving multiple stakeholders. Pupils predominantly view the school leadership positively, with the headteacher being described as approachable and engaging in informal interactions. High satisfaction levels are expressed regarding the school experience, particularly emphasising the sense of community and friendship. However, constraints and challenges are acknowledged, including structural and operational issues impacting the school’s functionality. This study underscores the vital importance of effective leadership in fostering a positive and supportive educational environment.

Stream 2E — Politics of Childhood(s)

Exploring the ‘apolitical’ to institutional childcare in Kashmir: A survival strategy in a protracted conflict zone

Prerna Gautam, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India

The overarching political paradigm within the Indian state espouses principles of a welfare state. Yet, in conflict-ridden regions like Kashmir, the state apparatus transitions into a security state wherein the rhetoric of defending national security often results in egregious violations of human rights, including those pertaining to children. Despite children constituting one of the most vulnerable demographics amidst armed conflict, the state’s prioritisation of law and order resulted in a disregard for their rights, manifesting in the delayed implementation of the Juvenile Justice system in Kashmir. This study draws upon a phenomenological inquiry conducted in the Srinagar and Kupwara districts of Indian-administered Kashmir, centring on the experiences of care-experienced youth orphaned as a consequence of the armed conflict, as well as the functionaries of the institutions. The study highlights how the escalating crisis of orphanhood in Kashmir, the breakdown of the social order and social disarticulation, and the erosion of traditional support structures alongside discriminatory rehabilitation policies of the government led to the proliferation of institutional-based rehabilitation for vulnerable orphans. The study elucidates the dynamics of conflicting interests between state and non-state armed actors, giving rise to threat perceptions that compel child-care institutions to adopt ostensibly ‘apolitical’ positions to mitigate risks of being targeted by either side. The study illustrates how the implementation of interventions and governance strategies in accordance with an ‘apolitical’ stance along with other survival strategies has fostered the emergence of these institutions as ‘safe spaces’ amidst a turbulent and contentious milieu and facilitated focus on their welfare related objectives. The overarching political paradigm within the Indian state espouses principles of a welfare state. Yet, in conflict-ridden regions like Kashmir, the state apparatus transitions into a security state wherein the rhetoric of defending national security often results in egregious violations of human rights, including those pertaining to children. Despite children constituting one of the most vulnerable demographics amidst armed conflict, the state’s prioritisation of law and order resulted in a disregard for their rights, manifesting in the delayed implementation of the Juvenile Justice system in Kashmir. This study draws upon a phenomenological inquiry conducted in the Srinagar and Kupwara districts of Indian-administered Kashmir, centring on the experiences of care-experienced youth orphaned as a consequence of the armed conflict, as well as the functionaries of the institutions. The study highlights how the escalating crisis of orphanhood in Kashmir, the breakdown of the social order and social disarticulation, and the erosion of traditional support structures alongside discriminatory rehabilitation policies of the government led to the proliferation of institutional-based rehabilitation for vulnerable orphans. The study elucidates the dynamics of conflicting interests between state and non-state armed actors, giving rise to threat perceptions that compel child-care institutions to adopt ostensibly ‘apolitical’ positions to mitigate risks of being targeted by either side. The study illustrates how the implementation of interventions and governance strategies in accordance with an ‘apolitical’ stance along with other survival strategies has fostered the emergence of these institutions as ‘safe spaces’ amidst a turbulent and contentious milieu and facilitated focus on their welfarerelated objectives.

Navigating post-school futures in Mumbai: On aspiration, ‘adjustment’ and gendered exhaustion

Sarada Balagopalan, Rutgers University, USA

This presentation explores young women’s gendered navigation of post-school futures in Mumbai, India. Since 2009, efforts to democratize schooling in India have set in place iniquitous and deeply segregated schools for first-generation school students. Efforts to convert this limited schooling into economic value, for both individuals and national economies, has produced a rise in skilling programs across the country and especially in urban contexts. Drawing on ethnographic research with first generation school students, this presentation

discusses young women’s lived experiences of aspirational and entrepreneurial selfhood through skills training and retail sector work wage work. By including schooling as an essential component that shapes young women’s habitation of desired futures, this presentation focuses on less researched aspects of temporality and relationality as deeply influencing their navigation of skilling and wage work. Some of the questions that frame this presentation include: How do young women combine a recognition of the capitalist temporal valuation of their schooled credentials together with a pragmatic, non-linear framing of time as ‘adjustment’? How might centering narratives of gendered exhaustion help us problematize existing neoliberal efforts that skillfully mask inequities by leveraging the linearity embedded in young girls ‘futures’?

Growing up during polycrises: How are adolescence capabilities affected during their transition to adulthood?

Megan Devonald, Overseas Development Institute, London

Adolescence is a precarious yet important part of the life course, associated with instability and rapid changes. Navigating this time period during multiple, interdependent and amplifying crises, defined here as polycrisis, can result in extensive implications on young people’s current and future lives. This research draws on qualitative findings from a longitudinal study with over 300 adolescents, their caregivers and key informants in Ethiopia and Lebanon during a time of interacting conflict, economic, health and environmental-related crises. There has been increased attention in the literature to the impact of single forms of crises on young people, but a lack of attention to the compounding risk of polycrisis. This research draws on Sen’s (1985; 2004) capability theory and Johnson-Hanks (2002) theory of vital conjunctures, to bridge this gap and explore the influence of polycrisis on adolescents’ education, marriage and migration vital conjunctures and the impact on their capabilities. The findings show that crises-induced deprivations influence the frequency, timing and complexity of young people’s vital conjunctures and can impact their capabilities through varied mechanisms. While crises act as risk amplifiers, they are one of many factors — including pre-existing inequalities based on gender and age norms and poverty — which impact young people’s capabilities and achieved well-being. Polycrisis has a cumulative effect, with multiple interacting shocks increasing both the intensity and the variability of mechanisms that impact young people’s capabilities. Adaptive, intersectional and multisectoral policy and programming responses are needed to protect against, and respond to, the heterogenous impacts of polycrisis.

Stream 2F — Workshop

The physical inactivity crisis

Helen Battelley, Music + Movement, UK

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic young children were not reaching the recommended levels of physical activity (PA) (BHFRC, 2018). In 2020 The Sutton Trust stated many young children’s physical activity levels declined during lockdown. Many families’ opportunities for play experiences were harshly diminished due to lockdown and as a result, families experienced hardship and isolation. In early childhood, motor development is shaped by social and cultural factors, whereby the embodiment of movement is enculturated meaning motor opportunities should be flexibly geared towards the ‘child’ as well as the places and things (affordances) in the environment. (Adolph & Hoch, 2019; Battelley, 2019). Movement is synonymous with being a young child. Young children love to run and move, their bodies are designed for such exertion, and broad physical play experiences can make a unique contribution to children’s physical and emotional well-being. We do not live in an equal society, opportunities within communities vary significantly and this gap widened during the pandemic (UNICEF, 2020). Access to safe spaces, gardens, green spaces, extracurricular activities were and, are not fairly distributed across society. Play and access to play are a UN human right of the child. UNICEF’s (2012) mission statement concurs ‘A good start in life, is a nurturing and safe environment that enables children to survive and be physically healthy.’ (UNICEF 2012, P.6). Where does this leave today’s children? Educators are noticing physical development delays and an increase in sensory processing disorders, could this be a result of the

pandemic? According to Goddard-Blythe et al, 2021, “The presence of primitive (infant) reflexes in school-aged children as indicators of immaturity in neuromotor functioning has been associated with under-achievement in terms of reading, writing and mathematics, and been linked to conditions such as dyslexia, developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder”.

This workshop will explore the current data and issues facing early childhood educators and examine a range of strategies to enable children to become more active and engage in developmentally appropriate movement play. Within this seminar, I aim to provide a tryptic of practice, theory and pedagogy or praxeology. This workshop will aim to enable educators to reflect on their practice and leave with replicable, evidence-based content they can apply to their provision. Areas covered include:

The role of reflexes on early childhood physical development

Meet them where they are!

Transitions and family play questionnaire

Promising principles

— Aligning pedagogy and practice

4.30–6.00pm | Panel Three

Stream 3A — Researching Children’s Lives

Examining drama as a method for child-centred research

Abigail Shabtay, York University, Canada

Drama-based methods of inquiry are a tool frequently used by educators and practitioners outside of research contexts, for pedagogical, therapeutic and/or activist purposes; however, the use of drama as a participatory research method, is still gaining popularity in the childhood studies field. One key barrier to the use of dramabased methods in research contexts is that many researchers lack familiarity and experience with these methods, and opt for more well-known approaches (Saldaña, 2008). This presentation is part of a multi-year project (funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada), aimed at identifying best practices for the use of participatory drama-based research methodologies with children and youth in the childhood studies field. During this project, the researcher worked with groups of children and youth to use a range of drama-based methods (puppetry, image theatre, etc.) to explore issues impacting their lives. Child and youth participants explored these issues through drama-based activities, and provided feedback on the different approaches in follow-up focus groups. The goal of these initiatives was to take a child-centred approach to methodology development, involving children themselves in identify best practices for researchers planning to use drama-based methods with children in the future. This presentation will highlight several ways that researchers can incorporate child-centered, drama-based methods into research with children, drawing on examples and children’s perspectives in this project.

Exploring ethical and methodological dilemmas in working with children experiencing violence and conflict

May Nasrawy, University of Essex, UK

This paper explores some of the ethical and methodological dilemmas in conducting research with children and young people in contexts of violence and uncertainty. It draws on key findings from a qualitative study carried out in Jerusalem to explore the meanings children and young people attach to being well. The study provides an in-depth insight into children and young people’s everyday lived experiences to offer new understandings of wellbeing that go beyond the psychological impact of exposure to violence and the development of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), into shedding light on the everyday experiences and struggles children and young people encounter. Through engaging with notions of voice and listening,

the paper highlights what it means to live in these ‘complex’ realities, and to do research with children and young people in contexts of violence and uncertainty. It further explores new ways of researching everyday childhoods and how children navigate spaces constantly characterised by ongoing fear, uncertainty, and violence. The paper also offers a space to examine the role of the researcher and the complexity experienced in relation to her positionality (insider/outsider), reflexivity and notions of safety in working with children and young people in the study. The paper concludes with some reflections on the challenges experienced by the researcher in making sense of the difficult stories told by children and young people, the impact they had on her personal and professional identity and how these could inform the ways in which we listen to children and young people in and through research.

Screen time in contemporary children’s picture books: Between a literary matter and an urgent debate

Sara Reis da Silva, University of Minho, Portugal

This proposal, mainly resulting from our research about children’s literature and its pedagogical and implicit side, stems from a series of recent academic research that have pointed out that children’s excessive and early exposure to screens influence their psychosocial growth and inhibiting the natural development of communicative, speaking and writing skills. We aim at discuss how this topic is differently fictionalized in three recent picturebooks by authors from diverse geographical origins: A menina com os olhos ocupados [The girl with her eye occupied] (Bertrand, 2020), written and illustrated by award-winning Portuguese artist André Carrilho, Caça-Olhares [Eye-catcher] (Kalandraka, 2020), by Marina Nuñez (text) and Avi Ofer (illustration), two Spanish authors, and Uma família desligada [A disconnected family] (Fábula, 2024), by Belgians Amélie Javaux (text) and Annick Masson (illustrations). In the first book, a girl lives isolated from feelings and world’s experiences. The second one presents the unease of a child who decides to change the adult’s behaviour. In the last book, a dog shows how a family has changed when smartphones and tablets were included in daily routine. These picturebooks allow to discuss subjects as contemporary families, children’s digital lives and images of childhood, children’s agency, children’s health and wellbeing, as well as topics like children’s social isolation, individualism, insensitivity or alienation. They testify the ways children’s literature propose, synergistically articulating two arts (literature and illustration), playful, aesthetic and pedagogical approaches to (understand) childhood and contemporary ways of living in general.

Stream 3B — Theorising Childhoods

Challenging the marginalisation of children through co-production

Kate Bacon, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and Zoe O’Riordan, University of Central Lancashire, UK

Back in 2002, Berry Mayall argued for a sociology for childhood that helps to improve the social and political status of childhood. Research continues to show that children are a minority social group accorded with less social status, rights and respect compared to adults. Over 20 years on, we want to take stock of the current social position of children in the UK and explore the potential of co-production for facilitating children’s participation and addressing their marginalisation, discrimination and experiences of social exclusion. The session will begin by considering the social position of children in society and the need to value ‘childness’. This will show that children as well as adults can hold derogatory views about childhood. It will then move on to explore and assess some examples of practical strategies utilised by academics and practitioners aimed at countering children’s margination and generating more positive definitions of childness. In this section, we will examine different conceptualisations of co-production as a strategy for children and adults sharing power and working in ‘partnership’. We will examine how these theoretical ideas have been operationalised and actualised in participation work and also assess the limits of co-production as a strategy of social change. The aim of this

session is to use these ‘lived’ examples to examine the opportunities, obstacles and challenges involved in co-production. What factors impact on children’s and adult’s willingness for social collaborations? What help to adults need to support children as change makers?

Entangled encounters in early childhood education and care: investigating dynamics of child and more — then human in kindergarten settings

Bonan Liu, University of Muenster, Germany

The evolving paradigm of posthumanism is reshaping our understanding of the interactions between children and more-than-human entities. While extant literature predominantly focuses on these relationships within domestic contexts, there remains a conspicuous absence of research concerning such dynamics in kindergarten settings. As the primary setting for early childhood development, interactions between children and more-than-human entities in kindergartens are not only integral to educational practices but also significantly shape childhood experiences. Utilising a post-qualitative research stance, the study examines two instances where street cats entered a kindergarten. It challenges traditional child-centric narratives by focusing on intricate entanglements between the children and the more-than human participants. The analysis reveals divergent approaches and outcomes in the handling of these situations: one cat was concealed by a teacher in the classroom while the other led to a collaborative effort between a child and a teacher to construct a makeshift home in the kindergarten. Despite these experiences, both cats were ultimately removed from the premises citing safety concerns. This study underscores the significant yet overlooked influence of morethan-human actors in educational settings and highlights the prevailing conflict between kindergarten safety protocols and the experiential opportunities presented by more-than-human encounters. It contributes to the broader conversation on posthumanism in education, advocating for a more inclusive understanding of kindergarten that acknowledges the significance of more-than-human actors in childhood studies.

“Feeling pregnant:” Foetal subjectivation in pregnancy narratives

Maureen Haaker, University of Suffolk, UK

Where does the story of pregnancy start? This is a question which has plagued politics, medicine, and law, with far-reaching, sometimes disastrous, consequences. The ambiguity of the pregnant body being two and/ or one raises critical questions about personhood and individuated embodiment. Moreover, the very physicalness of pregnancy – a situation where the boundaries of the body are negotiated and not fixed – challenges the underlying assumptions of the biomedical understanding of bodies and its link to identity. Using in-depth interviewing, this research collected and analysed narratives of pregnancy, as told while pregnant, exploring how pregnant people construct, de-construct, and re-construct a “foetal other”. Drawing specifically on bodily sensations of touch, sight, and proprioception, I explore how these experiences constantly redraw bodily boundaries of the pregnant subject, noting a particular issue over controlling who could also “know” and “feel” and when. In this discussion, I explore different models of subjectivity, and the various ways foetuses are awarded foetal subjectivity through experiences of pregnancy. Underpinned by Browne’s (2016) concept of “protopersonal”, I present a model of subjectivity which acknowledges pregnant people’s corporeal distinctiveness of the foetus and examines how this “distinctiveness” is both constructed by and constitutes the pregnant subject. Given the many ontological debates surrounding reproduction and subsequent regulation of rights and responsibilities during pregnancy, this research aims to bring pregnant people’s corporeal experiences and voice back into the discussion, recognising the central importance of the body in identity-formation.

Stream 3C — Rethinking Children’s Friendships in Educational Settings Symposium

Children’s friendships and precarity

Caron Carter, Sheffield Hallam University, UK

Research states that children’s friendships are essential for children’s holistic wellbeing, development and learning. Furthermore, these friendships are increasingly important within the current educational context, where there is increasing wellbeing and mental issues amongst children. This conceptual paper contributes a new theoretical understanding of children’s friendship today. Drawing on Judith Butler’s notion of ‘precarity’ I show how global events such as the pandemic, a cost-of-living crisis and war might impact upon children’s friendships and therefore wellbeing. These global events create opportunities for both precarity and new imaginings. Therefore, I argue that viewing friendship through a ‘precarity’ lens helps us to understand how we might better support children’s friendships. I propose that a ‘precarity’ perspective will have implications for research and practice in educational contexts, enabling a shift in thinking and a reimagining about how we support children’s friendships in ‘new’ and uncertain times’.

Children’s friendships through a spiritual lens

Kate Adams, Leeds Trinity University, UK

Children’s friendships in international educational policies are mostly referred to in the context of personal, social and emotional development. However, there is little synthesis of the spiritual elements, despite the spiritual being included in some curriculums, and theoretical work in the field of children’s spirituality focusing on relationality and connectedness. This paper argues that the lens of ‘relational consciousness’ (Hay and Nye 2006) is useful in understanding aspects of some friendships. It also reflects on the expectations of the types of friends which young people have by challenging the assumption that all friendships are human-human. It takes the example of what western cultures call ‘imaginary friends’ to demonstrate that other communities may deem these to be spiritual connections. The paper concludes that in some situations, a spiritual perspective can help us challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and so better understand children’s perspectives.

Stream 3D — Children’s Experiences in School

Reconsider teachers’ roles in kindergarten play activities from children’s perspectives: What kind of teachers’ roles meet children’s needs to support them as future-makers?

Jialing Li, University of Sheffield, UK

Drawing from a completed PhD study, this presentation aims to discuss the roles of teachers in play activities from the perspectives of children in a Chinese kindergarten. Play pedagogy is dominant in Chinese policies for early childhood education, alongside guidance for the role of teachers in connecting play provisions with their pedagogical practice and strategies. However, the way the play has been framed in the policy discourses and in practice is seen as problematic and has fueled debate internationally. Children’s agency, needs and interests that arise from their everyday life experiences and funds of knowledge may not be respected, valued and supported by teachers when they are not in line with the learning and development goals proposed in educational policies. Located in Childhood Studies, my PhD research views children as active constructors in their lives who have the right to speak out their voice about what they expect their teachers to better support them in their own play activities. A range of studies have sought to understand what educational forms of play mean to children. However, few studies have focused on what teachers’ roles mean to children in play activities. Through video-stimulated reflective dialogues, I did the research with 4–5-year-old children to elicit

their perspectives regarding teachers’ pedagogical practices and role in play. In this presentation, I reveal that children’s needs in play are characterised by multiple, complex and comprehensive features which require teachers to adopt integrated pedagogies to respect their play culture and support them to be future makers.

Teenagers at play: Investigating playful experiences in schools

Zifi Tung, University of Bath, UK

This research study is founded on two critical aspects: the significance of play for children and adolescents, and the concerning decline in play opportunities during childhood. Play has been found to have positive effects on childhood development, including physical and social domains (Lindon, 2007; Gleave and Cole-Hamilton, 2012) The benefit of play is linked to the importance of play, which is often associated with younger children. This study shifts the association and argues that play is just as important for adolescents as to younger children. Baines and Blatchford (2023) have highlighted a noticeable reduction in break durations across schools in England. Their study uncovered a significant reduction in lunch break durations, with half of secondary schools now offering breaks shorter than 45 minutes, and nearly a quarter providing very brief breaks of only 35 minutes. The repercussions of shortened break times extend to children’s friendships, mental health and overall wellbeing as breaktimes serve as critical settings for peer interactions and the cultivation of friendship (Pellegrini and Blatchord, 2002; McNamara et al, 2018). This study argues that both play and breaktimes are equally essential and are diminishing in school settings, reflecting a broader issue within educational policies that demands attention. The study aims to explore how adolescents create playful experiences in school environments, focusing on the specific places and spaces where these experiences occur. Additionally, it seeks to understand how adults respond to these playful initiatives initiated by students. Data collection methods include art-based mapping, observations, and focus groups (Thomson and Philo, 2004; Amholt et al, 2022; Travlou et al 2008) with a primary emphasis on listening to the voices of young people, minimizing interference from the researcher. This research is ongoing, awaiting for ethical approval and confirmation.

Early childhood behaviour management training for pre-school teachers through a digital game — preschool ABA project

Jasmina Troshanska, State University in Tetovo, Macedonia, J. Kožárova, University of Prešov, Slovakia, I. Trellová, University of Prešov, Slovakia, S. Faka, Vimodo Ltd., Cyprus, C. Sweeney, The Institute for Studies in Social Inclusion, Ireland and M. Jancec, Centar za autizam Zagreb, Croatia

Preschool teachers play a vital role in the development and well-being of young children with autism. Specialized methodological approaches are necessary for these children’s specific characteristics, such as deficits in social communication and interaction and repetitive behaviors. This calls for creating structured and supportive environments tailored to their learning needs. Recognizing the need for additional training for preschool teachers, the partnership for the Preschool ABA Erasmus + project was established. The Preschool ABA project, a collaborative development initiative, utilizes a community-driven approach to address the training needs of preschool educators in six European countries: Ireland, Croatia, Slovakia, North Macedonia, France, and Cyprus. This project aims to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate teaching and learning support materials for preschool teachers working with children with autism in inclusive settings. To achieve these objectives, a self-designed questionnaire was electronically distributed to educational and professional staff working with children diagnosed with or exhibiting symptoms of autism. The research findings underscore several critical areas: the need for greater awareness of ABA techniques applicable in kindergarten settings, a lack of understanding of the functions of problem behaviors, and the potential for eliminating these behaviors. Therefore, the outcomes of the community-led project are expected to increase preschool teachers’ competencies and improve the experiences of the children with autism In preschool institutions. Insights from the project research highlight the importance of targeted training and educational packages for support for preschool teachers to manage and support young children with autism effectively.

Stream 3E — Preserving Children’s Culture and Identity in Rural Communities Panel

Preserving children’s culture and identity in rural communities: Findings and reflections from an analysis of children’s books imagery and representations Wilma Robles-Melendez, Nova Southeastern University, USA, Fengling Tang, University of Roehampton, UK and Zoi Nikiforidou, University of Ioannina, Greece

Children today are growing up with ever more changing contexts, which are transforming places and cultures near and far. Changes are particularly reflected in an increasingly urbanized society that blurs the culture and realities of other contexts children call home. Such is the case of rural communities that, wherever children are in our global society, continue to be defined by their distinct heritage and culture (Flora, 2018; Anderson, 1995). A component of diversity, community locations influence and contribute to defining one’s individual identity with the values, ways, and heritage of the places where one grows up (Scannell & Gifford, 2010). The practices, cultural ideas, and beliefs learned remain as part of the funds of knowledge children build as they experience and grow up in a community (Moll, 1992), cementing a person’s sense of self and of belonging (Esteban & Moll, 2014).

With greater attention and emphasis on urban culture, concerns emerge about the social and emotional wellbeing of children growing up in rural areas. Many times, views and perceptions about life in rurality are misconstrued denying the value of rural cultural heritage (Mohatt & Mohatt, 2020). Awareness about biased and unfair representations of life and culture of children in communities differing from those of macro-cultural areas demands clarification to debunk misconceptions. This is also what motivated the attention of the pre-formed panel presenters to examine representations about the cultural identities of children in rural communities. Concerns about children’s wellbeing underline the need for exploring ways to responsibly provide a praxis that respects and supports the rural child. Responsive pedagogy happens when knowledge is built about children’s needs and developmental and cultural realities. The importance of the environment on individual development urges us to consider what we know about children living in rurality (Bronfenbrenner, 1970; Pumariega & Joshi, 2010; National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, 2023), where 42% of the world is described as rural (World Bank, 2022). The need to examine the impact of rural contexts on children’s early development of a sense of identity is heightened when considering that its erosion threatens the survival of its heritage.

In times where the idea about rurality is becoming faded, the need for preserving the culture and heritage of rural areas is heightened (Weir, 2021). Aware about the need for supporting culture of children in rural areas, the panel explores the imagery and representations of childhood experiences influencing identity formation of children living in rurality. Using as framework Moll’s (1992) funds of knowledge, Esteban (2016) funds of identity, and Bishop’s (1990) metaphor of windows, doors and sliding glass doors, presenters conducted a critical analysis was conducted of selected children’s books addressing rural cultural lifestyles in three different geographical contexts: China, Greece, and the United States. The panel shares a three-perspective view on children in rurality in three different contexts explored through stories: cultural identity, spiritual ethos, play and contextual representations of experiences in rurality. Findings, suggestions, and recommendations for pedagogical practices will be shared as part of the proposed panel presentation.

Keynote speaker: Professor Karen Wells

Optimism of the will: Children and future-making

WLT1, ground floor, Waterfront Building

11.00am–1.00pm | Panel Four

Stream 4A — (Dis)abling Childhoods

A case for access to private education for persons with disabilities in Ghana

Akosu Frema, Virtue International School, Ghana

Access to private education for persons with disabilities in Ghana presents a multifaceted challenge with significant implications for inclusive education. This abstract provides an overview of the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities in accessing private education in Ghana, as well as potential strategies for enhancing inclusivity. Ghana has made strides in promoting inclusive education through policy frameworks such as the Inclusive Education Policy (2015). However, access to private education remains limited for people with disabilities due to various factors. Financial constraints pose a major barrier, as private education often comes with higher fees compared to public schools. Additionally, many private schools lack the necessary infrastructure and resources to accommodate students with disabilities effectively. Discriminatory attitudes and a lack of awareness among school administrators and staff further exacerbate the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. Despite these challenges, there are promising strategies for improving access to private education for people with disabilities in Ghana. Collaboration between private schools, government agencies, and disability advocacy groups is essential for raising awareness, building inclusive infrastructure, and implementing supportive policies. Providing financial assistance and scholarships can help mitigate the economic barriers faced by students with disabilities. Moreover, training programs for educators on inclusive teaching methodologies and disability rights can promote a more welcoming and supportive school environment. In conclusion, ensuring access to private education for persons with disabilities in Ghana requires concerted efforts from various stakeholders. By addressing financial, infrastructural, and attitudinal barriers, Ghana can move closer to realizing the principles of inclusive education and ensuring that every individual, regardless of disability, has the opportunity to access quality education in private institutions.

Identifying developmental language disorder with machine learning

Nic Whittam, University of Suffolk,

UK

Developmental Language Disorder (DLD, previously known as Specific Language Impairment (SLI)) is a relatively little-known developmental disorder that impacts language use and/or comprehension without a link to neurological, behavioural, or hearing impairment. Early intensive intervention can mitigate the impact but it affects language use across the lifespan. With machine learning, researchers are trying to develop tools to support early clinical diagnosis. Using pre-existing data (LANNA datset1) this project trained a simple convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify children’s utterances as DLD or not-DLD. A range of training environments and configuration settings were created to provide the greatest chance of success. The highest MCC score achieved was 0.997, this indicates that the simple CNN was able to successfully classify Czech children’s utterances into two classes. The trained CNN was then tested to classify utterances from children speaking Canadian English (sourced from the CHILDES data collection2). This is why the various training environments were important as the best performing model in Czech was not the best performing in Canadian English. One model, trained on resampled data, achieved an MCC score of 0.488 classifying utterances in a language it had not been trained on. Whilst this is not a high level of accuracy it is greater than might

be anticipated. Language agnostic identification of the phonological disturbance in children’s utterances that indicate DLD could be used to support clinicians working in communities whose languages are underresearched. Further study to be discussed includes a phonological comparison between Czech and English, and analysis of other phonological disordered speech, and review of non-Indo-European language.

Dismantle initiative: Changing the way we view disability

Sarah Arch, DisMantle Initiative, UK

To foster cultural change conducive to improving societal attitudes towards disabled individuals, it is imperative to first understand the lived experiences of disability. However, rather than focussing on diagnoses and conditions of individuals, we will centre the pervasive and systemic nature of ableism and its consequential impact in creating societal barriers for disabled people to explore the lived reality of being disabled in the current world. At its core, ableism reflects a deep-seated belief that non-disabled and neurotypical people are both the norm and superior to anyone who does not fit into these narrow societal norms. Ableism manifests through various channels, from educational systems that prioritises standardised measures of learning and achieving, to classrooms and teaching practices that erase disabled cultures, and social environments that perpetuate stigmatisation and exclusion of those whose bodies do not fit within societal norms. This presentation will provide examples of ableism within education derived from a variety of sources to explore the damaging effect it has on psychological safety of all. This presentation will examine how traditional lenses of disability (medical, charity and social) perpetuate both ableism and the cycle of ableism before moving on to explore a more balanced view of disability (relational lens), and the concept of “Disability Neutrality”— the notion that disability is not inherently negative or positive but that all disabilities come with both positive aspects and negative aspects. The presentation will then explore how Anti-ableist practices can help society reach Disability Neutrality for the betterment of all.

Stream 4B — Health, Wellbeing, and Embodiment

Transforming the future through midwifery

Emily Ruegg,

University of Suffolk, UK

Emerging evidence highlights the growing importance of getting pregnancy, birth and the first 1000 days right to safeguard future generations. Birthing people’s lifestyle, the mode of birth and feeding choices influence the early programming of an infant’s epigenome. Excessive cortisol during pregnancy has been associated with emotional dysregulation, neurodiversity, and pre-term birth. In conjunction with these studies have also found correlations between induced birth and lower academic attainment, emotional dysregulation, and poorer short and long-term health. Following birth, babies that are breastfeed, held close and are cared for by loving responsive parents can promote brain growth by switching on the parasympathetic (calm and connection) and switching off the sympathetic system (flight, fight, freeze). Continuous priming of these receptors allows for optimal brain development which promotes physical and emotional wellbeing including the ability to build loving relationship in later life. Maternal sense of coherence surround birth and parenting increases the likelihood of less interventions in birth, greater birth satisfaction and increased uptake of breastfeeding. Sense of coherence can be gained through midwife led focused antenatal education. However, the provision and access to antenatal education remains a challenge in current maternity services. Therefore, could midwifery education be embedded in early education? Could midwifery and educational provision collaborate to reduce health inequalities and change the future generations.

Where awareness guarantees no protection: Susceptibility to scabies and related health seeking behaviour of street children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Bewunetu

Zewude, Wolaita Sodo University, Ethiopia and Getnet Tadele, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia

Scabies is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) with high prevalence rate in resource limited settings. Though susceptible because of lack of sanitation and contact with vectors, attempts to identify street children’s lived experiences of NTDs in the global south remained a neglected issue. This study identified the lived experiences of scabies among street children in Addis Ababa. Using an in-depth interview method, we collected qualitative data from selected children of the street to understand their understanding of the causes of scabies, their experiences of managing the condition, and their health seeking behavior. We considered maximum variations of the study participants using variables such as age, sex, and experience of infection. The study found high susceptibility to scabies with its physical, psychological and social impacts. The study participants believe that scabies has its origin in their living condition: whereas poor environmental sanitation and lack of personal hygiene have been perceived to cause the disease, louse has been believed to be the vector of its transmission. Whereas experience of visiting modern healthcare facilities were the common patterns of responding to infection, self-care and visiting traditional healers have also been reported. By uncovering the embodied experience of a stigmatized skin neglected tropical disease among a neglected community in global south, the study demonstrated the contribution of medical anthropology in combating neglect and addressing health disparities. Identifying their living condition as the major factor contributing for street children’s susceptibility, we recommend efforts of changing this through reunification, reintegration and other viable exit strategies.

Food

messages in Spanish-language children’s picture books available in México

Lara Descartes,

Western University, Canada and Josette Rosenzweig Espinal, University of Toronto, Canada

This paper introduces work in progress regarding food-related messaging in a sample of Spanish-language picture books available to children in México. Picture books are the subject of study because their messaging about foods may help to shape young children’s perceptions about what foods should be eaten, in what quantities, and how often. This is an important topic, as child obesity rates in México are the highest in North America, which presents a danger to children’s current and future health. It thus is crucial to research the diverse elements of Mexican children’s food environment, including socialization about foods. Part of this socialization is provided by media, including the books children read and have read to them. Comparisons will be made between the initial results from this research and prior work on English-language picture books available to children in Canada and the United States. The work with both the Spanish-language and the English-language books analyzed how frequently different types of food were portrayed in the books, the foods’ centrality or background status, and the emotional affect (positive, negative, or neutral), with which the foods were presented. The results from the English-language books included: a higher frequency of central placement of sweetened foods versus fruits/vegetables, a higher frequency of positive affect for the sweetened foods, and a greater likelihood for the sweets to be used to connote happiness. Results from the Spanishlanguage books will be compared to these findings and discussed in relation to child health and nutrition.

Stream 4C — Children in Conflict

Beirut’s children: first- and second-generation narratives of the Lebanese civil war

Mortada Haidar, Justus Liebig University,

Germany

The contrast between the savagery of war and childhood innocence is a theme that has preoccupied countless narratives about children growing up in war zones, particularly the wars of the 20th century. One of these wars is the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990), which produced a generation that continues to grapple with life in a war-torn country. One of the most famous depictions of the civil war is the movie West Beirut (1998) by the

Lebanese director Ziad Doueiri. The movie chronicles the life of three high schoolers growing up during the war in Beirut and is based on Doueiri’s own experiences. Over a decade later, the novel From Beirut to the Moon (2020) by Naji Bakhti was published. This coming-of-age novel depicts the life of Adam as he grows up in wartorn Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War. While both tackle growing up during the Civil War with humour, the two works offer different perspectives on the war. Doueiri is a first-generation Lebanese who grew up during the Civil War, while Bakhti is a second-generation Lebanese whose parents lived through the war. Relying on the theories of memory and post-memory, this paper is concerned with how the civil war is memorialized in these two works, between generations, formats, and political and social eras. At the core of this paper is how different generations reflect on the war. What memory cultures do they ascribe to? How does post-memory fit within the framework of the study of the Lebanese Civil War?

‘You know young people, they like challenges:’ Exploring the intergenerational dynamics underpinning and unleashed by northeast Nigeria’s Boko Haram conflict

Hannah Hoechner and University of East Anglia, UK, and Yagana Bukar, University of Maiduguri,

Nigeria

Violent conflict has been discussed as a powerful catalyst of societal change, profoundly affecting ‘adolescents’ economic and social roles, … power within childhood and intergenerational relations’ (Boyden & de Berry2004: xvii). Armed conflict can empower young people who take up arms while also creating new vulnerabilities and suffering. Post-conflict reconstruction can open a window for reconfiguring norms around age/generation or contribute to the consolidation of gerontocratic power. This proposed paper uses an intergenerational lens to explore dynamics related to the Boko Haram Insurgency that has ravaged northeast Nigeria and its neighbouring countries for over a decade now. Despite the longevity of the conflict, large gaps in knowledge persist about its origins, dynamics, and impacts on local social norms and institutions, including ideas around childhood/youth and intergenerational relations. The youthful base of Boko Haram has raised a series of questions about young people’s grievances and vulnerabilities within the conflict. Drawing on over 70 interviews and focus groups with former insurgents, many of whom were recruited as children/youths, Islamic school teachers and students, parents and key informants conducted in Borno and Yobe States in northeast Nigeria in 2021 and 2024, this paper explores some of the intergenerational dynamics underpinning, and unleashed by, the conflict. We argue that generational tensions played out not only within the conflict itself, giving rise and meaning to specific forms of violence, but also coloured the narratives people embraced to make sense of what had happened. Mostly, such narratives reinforce gerontocratic power structures post-conflict.

Stream 4D — Social and Culturally-sustaining Pedagogy

Reboot education: Empowering learning through education

Paul Arch, Reboot Education, UK

Reboot Education, a dynamic and evolving Alternative Provision located in the heart of Ipswich, which is dedicated to supporting children facing educational challenges such us not attending a school setting and in danger of permanent exclusion, typical with a neurodiverse profile. Our mission is to reignite their passion for learning using cutting-edge ICT and technology.

Our presentation would cover these four themes:

The Why: Discover the driving forces behind the establishment of Reboot Education. We delve into the catalysts that led us to form this innovative venture, the hurdles we encountered, and our triumphant solutions.

The How: Explore our unique provision — distinctive in its approach. We share how we’ve tailored teaching

methods to engage our diverse student body. Navigating collaboration with schools, parents, and professionals is central to our success.

The What We Have Learned: Reflecting on two terms of operation, we unveil insights gained. Our original vision remains intact, yet we’ve adapted to meet the ever-evolving needs of families and schools. Flexibility and responsiveness drive our journey.

The What Next: Peering into the future, we outline our short, medium, and long-term plans. Some are already in motion; others remain aspirational. Reboot Education’s metamorphosis continues.

Nurturing anti-racist futures in early childhood education: A teacher’s reflection

Maryam Bham, University of Cambridge, UK

In addressing racism, discrimination, and equity with young children, early childhood educators often employ the colourblind or celebratory approach, assuming that instilling love, kindness, and justice within our classrooms will mitigate racial biases. However, these strategies overlook the pervasive influence of a racialised society, where unchecked prejudices shape our perceptions and actions. Loving every child equally is therefore insufficient, and in our early childhood classrooms, it is not the reality. Children need the right environment, curriculum, and support to talk about race and discuss what they are seeing and sensing. It requires teachers to engage in the discussion, and talk about race frequently, even if doing so causes them some trepidation or discomfort. By encouraging these discussions, we provide children with the space to recognise racism and develop into anti-racists themselves, creating a reflective environment that mirrors their own experiences and provides a window into the lives of others. This presentation will reflect on my experience and my teacher identity as a visibly Muslim teacher in a Catholic school, and some of the pedagogical practises maintained to help promote ongoing institutional and social change within my school setting. By exploring my experiences, I aim to contribute insights into shaping the future of anti-racist education in early childhood classrooms, emphasising the crucial role of educators in moulding a future generation committed to equity and social justice.

‘We are not concerned about good grades:’ Elite Nigerian

Pere

Ayling, University of Suffolk, UK

Based on a qualitative study of the motivating factors behind the consumption of international schooling by elite Nigerian parents, this article explores what a group of elite parents perceived as the indicators of highquality education. The findings suggest that these parents did not consider ‘good grades’ as an indicator of high-quality education. Instead, the nationality and race of teachers, and whether a school uses British or Nigerian pedagogy, were perceived as the distinguishing features of high-quality education. Framed within the sociology of education and the sociology of consumption, this paper suggests that these parents’ constructions and consumption of international schooling are distinction strategies that enable them to reinforce inter and intra-class boundaries. The analysis also reveals a paradox, whereby in attempting to affirm their status as the authentic elites, the parents are complicit in perpetuating the hegemonic discourse of ‘British is best’, even in post-colonial Nigeria.

Desirable futures and emotional investments in kindergarten class pedagogies

Dorthea

Bjerre

Jepsen,

University of Copenhagen and University College Copenhagen, Denmark

Children’s emotional wellbeing has gained political and pedagogical practical attention the last decades (OECD, 2019; O’Toole & Simovska, 2022). With this attention follows ideas and logics of positive and negative emotions and how to work pedagogical with these emotions and their expressions. In this study I examine these logics and how pupils’ emotions are regulated and evaluated by teachers in a kindergarten class year group. The theoretical framework of this study consists of post structural and feminist affect theories (Abu-Lughod & Lutz, 1990; Ahmed, 2010; Butler, 2021). I therefore understand emotions and the discourses of emotions as socially

and historical embedded. Emotions are seen as ascribing and being ascribed meaning in pedagogical practices (Zembylas, 2016). These processes are examined through an ethnographic inspired fieldwork (Lather, 2009) conducted in a Danish suburb area where I focus on when and how pupils’ emotions are managed by the teachers. The analysis focuses on how children’s and societal futures are structuring for the ways emotions, their expression and regulation hereof become part of pedagogical practices. I show the implications of the logics followed by the attention to children’s emotions and the ways imagined school and life trajectories become part of the norms of feeling in the first year of school. Implications I discuss in relation to notions of children as potential and educational futures (Gilliam & Gulløv, 2022; Hultqvist & Dahlberg, 2001).

Stream 4E — Workshop

Researching children’s lives: Using the self-portrait and relational map as a creative data generation method

Lucy Robinson, University of Oxford, UK

When conducting qualitative research about children’s lives, creative data generation methods can be a valuable tool. Unlike a standalone series of interview-style questions, creative data generation methods provide child participants with time for personal reflection and thus remove the immediacy required in answering a series of questions verbally (Clark, 2010; Morrow, 1998; Punch, 2002). By relying less on speech, such methods can help to facilitate greater involvement and engagement and thus support more inclusive research practice. This is crucial when exploring complex and nuanced topics like children’s lives, as child participants may need time to articulate their thoughts and experiences. Moreover, creative data generation methods can be enjoyable for child participants as they can stimulate a more relaxed and informal research space and, as such, may result in more open and honest responses (Bagnoli, 2019). For the researcher, using creative data generation methods can also provide the opportunity for ‘new ways of seeing’ and help uncover the world of an individual’s thoughts, feelings and experiences more so than through speech or text alone (Parry, 2015). In so doing, they can allow for a deeper, and arguably more complete, insight into children’s lives.

In this workshop, I will explain how I used the ‘self-portrait and relational map’ as one of my creative data generation methods for my doctoral research. The workshop will have a ‘hands on’ aspect where attendees will learn how to use this child-centered, creative data generation method. The workshop will end in a discussion of how the method could be adapted for other research contexts and how it could be adapted to address the differing needs of participant groups. This workshop is based on my recently published NCRM tutorial. Lucy Robinson. (2024). Creative data generation methods: The self-portrait and relational map. National Centre for Research Methods online learning resource. Available at https://www.ncrm.ac.uk/resources/online/ all/?id=20836

Stream 4F — Workshop

Children,

young people and unequal climate futures: Conversations across contexts

Catherine Walker Newcastle University, UK, Katie Parsons, Loughborough University, UK, Florence Halstead, Glasgow University, UK and Matluba Khan, Cardiff University, UK

Today’s children are growing up in an age of environmental concern. Against a backdrop of unseasonal weather, rising pollution levels, biodiversity loss and eco-anxiety, the United Nations description of climate change as “the great leveller that encompasses and exacerbates nearly every other problem threatening human progress in the twenty first century” (United Nations 2014) seems appropriate. However, amidst the globalising narrative of climate change, important disparities exist between countries, regions and communities in terms of how

climate change is exacerbating already-existing socio-environmental vulnerabilities and community capacities to respond.

This proposed session will take the form of a panel of short (10 minute) presentations in this workshop. We will show a series of short videos presenting snapshots into climate change research with children and/or young people from diverse local-global contexts. These snapshots will offer insights into:

How climate change is affecting children/youth in the context presented on (e.g. actual effects in the past or present, or anticipated effects that children are aware or fearful of)

How children in that context are responding actively to the actual/anticipated effects of climate change

What material and social infrastructures shape children’s and others’ responses/capacities to respond

What material, policy and social changes/interventions children and young people expect/anticipate to happen to enable climate change adaptation/mitigation.

Videos will be interspersed with, followed by an interactive, participatory discussion involving the presenters and audience. Through a series of prompts, the discussion will be designed to invite those present to look across the contexts presented on and reflect on the present and future ways children are both affected by and acting on climate change in those contexts. This will enable further discussion of how inequalities intersect across temporal and spatial scales. We intend to audio-record the discussion and share it with presenters who are unable to attend the conference in person, but who are generously sharing videos of their research. The four session proposers are interdisciplinary researchers who work on children and climate adaptation, finding a shared focus in children’s geographies. Between us, we have experience of carrying out participatory research with children and young people in communities in England, Wales, Scotland, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Brazil and Australia.

2.00–4.00pm | Panel Five

Stream 5A — Children and Family Wellbeing: Exploring Theoretical Perspectives Panel

Children and Family Wellbeing: Exploring Theoretical Perspectives

Theodora Papatheodorou and Lisa Gentle, Norland, UK and Paulette Luff, Anglia Ruskin University, UK

This panel considers children’s present and future wellbeing through theorisations that challenge individualfocused explanations of child development. We propose alternatives that recognise wellbeing as a multifaceted concept and emphasise the nurture of children within contemporary families and the wider environment. The presenters are all editorial board members of the Norland Educare Research Journal (NERJ), a new international journal focused on home-based childcare.

Dr Theodora Papatheodorou opens the debate discussing the multi-dimensionality of the concept of wellbeing (Ben-Arieh, 2014; OECD, 2021) beyond normative developmental discourses dominant in the field of early childhood. The multiple and interlinked global issues and conditions that affect child and family wellbeing are explored from and within policy perspectives (Byrne et al, 2024). She concludes proposing an oiko (from the Greek word oikos meaning home/family) ecological view of wellbeing which emphasises the harmonic symbiosis (or lack of) of children and families with their natural, social and built environment. She argues that the latter is subject to and greatly impacted by entangled political, social and economic systems.

The oiko/family context is further explored by Dr Paulette Luff with reference to an auto-ethnographic enquiry that seeks neurodiversity affirming understandings of grandparenting through a review of international studies about grandparenting and autism. This work is rooted in contextualist ecological understandings of dynamic, transactional relationships between human beings and their surrounding environments. This combines a

Vygotskian socio-cultural view of differences in development with Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory and a Deweyan aspiration to foster individual and family wellbeing and bring about social change.

Dr Rebecca Digby then explores ecological dimensions from a more-than-human perspective. Drawing on Karen Barad’s Agential Realist philosophy, she considers wellbeing as an entangled, relational and materialdiscursive phenomenon, intra-acting within and across relationships between children, spaces and things. From this position, children are decentred and agency is understood as distributed across phenomena, contributing to the world in its differential becoming. Attention is so given to lively affective flows and spaces in-between children and more-than-human matter as potential to come to (re)know wellbeing.

We conclude by sharing the vision of NERJ, an open access journal (offering free of charge publication to authors and free access for all readers), and inviting contributions to a forthcoming special issue about wellbeing: https://www.norland.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Norland-Educare-Research-Journal-Call-forpapers-on-wellbeing.pdf

Stream 5B — Children’s Political Lives

Re-imagining childhood: Children and politics after the future

Itay Snir, Yezre’el valley Academic College, Israel

This paper explores the possibility of viewing children as full political subjects and envisioning a society in which they enjoy political equality with adults. It advocates for reimagining both childhood and politics, moving beyond the future-oriented temporal framework. In the first part of the paper, I analyze the connection between the oppression of children and the developmental logic of progress. Drawing on the work of Lee Edelman and Faisal Devji, I argue that although children are usually excluded from conventional politics, the image of the child, which is the ultimate symbol of the future, is the organizing principle of such politics. In the second part I address the question of whether children’s separation from politics is truly for their own good, arguing that Children’s vulnerability must not justify political hierarchy. The difficulty of imagining a society in which children are not politically inferior to adults is explored in the third part through Jacques Rancière’s “method of inequality”. Thinking of equality as a goal to be achieved in the future, Rancière argues, only delays and thwarts it indefinitely. Therefore, egalitarian politics must take equality as its starting point, as a present reality. In the final part of the paper, I apply the method of equality to children, claiming that thinking of children as politically equal can enhance “childish” features such as imagination and playfulness in the political sphere, thereby liberating it from its problematic subordination to the future.

When child soldiers of the united states military became adults

Revital Pollack,

Bar Ilan University, Israel

In the 1970s, eighteen became the new legal age of adulthood in the United States for all intents and purposes. Many states lowered their drinking ages and ages of majority to eighteen. Significantly, in 1971, Congress passed the 26th Amendment to the Constitution to lower the voting age in all government elections to eighteen. These shifts underscore the dynamic nature of the concept of both childhood and adulthood. One prevailing argument in positions favoring this change was that if eighteen-year-olds were old enough to fight in the army, they were old enough to vote. However, the draft age had been eighteen since 1942, and previous attempts to decrease the voting age had failed. Up until 1971, US soldiers under the age of twentyone were legally minors. With the legislation of the 1960s and 1970s, these minors became considered legal adults. Yet, media coverage sometimes presented soldiers and potential draftees as immature and not fully adult — as childish. This study focuses on how soldiers were perceived at the time and examines what this perception demonstrates about the development of the concept of adulthood. This paper argues that the changes in adulthood during the 1960s and 1970s in the United States were based on what benefited various

establishments within the country. Different establishments with their own interests led to varying perceptions of soldiers as adults or as children. Broadly, this paper provides a picture of how the perception of male adulthood developed and was understood in the 1960s and 1970s.

Colonial modernity and the construction of juvenile delinquency in colonial Taiwan

Pei-Ying Wang, University of Reading, UK

During the period of Japanese colonisation, the concept of ‘juvenile delinquency’ and a youth justice system emerged. Japanese colonisers enforced an authoritarian regime through a decentralised neighbourhood administrative system in Qing Taiwanese society. They established a police supervision system and youth institutions to discipline delinquent youths. However, many behaviours that were previously tolerated became problematic and criminalised under Japanese colonisation. This paper argues that colonial modernity co-produced Taiwan’s juvenile delinquency, which did not exist before colonisation. Through colonial governmentality, Taiwanese ethnicity and Taiwanese people were portrayed as inferior, immature, and needing guidance and control. Certain customs, such as gambling, adoption, and marriage systems, were deemed backward and in need of abandonment. Governing problematic youth served two purposes. Firstly, it aimed at social control and ‘moral improvement’ of Taiwanese society, seeking to mobilise the entire society and reshape the social order for ‘Japanisation’. This approach focused on assimilating the younger Taiwanese generations into Japanese culture. Secondly, it aimed to maintain colonial power and prevent Japanese youth from experiencing racial degeneration due to Taiwan’s tropical climate. In the context of Japanese delinquent youth, concerns about racial degeneration were prominent. As the threat of diseases decreased, authorities feared that Taiwan’s tropical climate might foster laziness and moral decay among the Japanese population, potentially hindering the progress of future generations. Under the rule of the Qing dynasty and throughout the Japanese colonial period, Taiwanese society underwent a shift towards modernisation. The policies and discussions surrounding juvenile delinquency in Japan and Taiwan witness colonial governmentality.

Stream 5C — Sex and Sexualities

What influences whether year eleven boys choose or not choose geography at A-level?

Geraldine Rumbold, University of Suffolk, UK

There was a decreasing male participation in geography in an all-boys’ grammar school in the south-east of England. This study aimed to explore reasons why year eleven male participants were choosing or rejecting geography as an A level. This study builds on previous research on Bandura’s (1977) self-efficacy theory and Markus and Nurius (1986) theory on possible selves by using the theoretical frameworks in a different context of A level subject choice of geography in a secondary school. This study used a qualitative, exploratory, and interpretivist methodology to explore the extent to which participants’ perception of their own ability, parents’, peers’, teachers’ involvement, classroom experiences, career choices, and university courses are considered to be influential for year eleven male participants’ decisions to study A level geography, or not. The study used five focus groups conducted with 23 male year eleven participants, using a statement sorting activity, to identify which reason is considered to be more influential. The qualitative data was analysed using thematic analysis. The study found participants that wanted to study A level geography enjoyed GCSE geography because teachers used a variety of different tasks in lessons and supported the participants by suggesting alternative ways to revise GCSE geography. This in turn made participants feel capable to achieve high GCSE and A level grades because participants received high grades throughout year ten and eleven. Whereas participants that did not want to study A level geography, found STEM subjects were more enjoyable and participants needed STEM subjects for a future career in medicine, engineering, and finance. Parental occupations and expectations were considered to be influential for participants’ A level subject choice of STEM subjects. Geography was not considered to be a useful A level for a future career in medicine, engineering, or finance.

Condom as a playful object: Girl activists’ participatory arts-based methods in reconstructing

teenage girl sexuality

Minkyung Kwon, University of Edinburgh, UK

In this presentation, I discuss girl activists’ participatory arts-based method to encourage young people to engage in reconstructing teenage girl sexuality as part of their teenage girl feminist activism (TGFA). I draw upon the ethnographic data gathered with eleven self-identified girl activists (aged 15 to 21) in a girl-led social movement organisation ‘Teenage Feminist Network: WeTee’, established in the context of the South Korean SchoolMeToo Movement. As part of their activism with the broader aim to challenge school-based sexual harassment culture, girl activists aimed to critique normative images of teenage girl sexuality and demand expanded imaginations of it. The girl activists organised their TGFA around sexuality by designing a participatory exhibition displaying a variety of artworks using condoms as playful objects. Using condoms as playful objects in their participatory artworks created a safe space for girl activists and young audience to reflect on and openly discuss their sexual experiences. This approach supported them in identifying, critiquing, and disrupting age and gender-based power relations at play in schools and society which limited practices of sexually active teenagers and constructed ambivalent femininities. I aim to discuss the creative methods through which girl activists and young people utilised condoms in their participatory activities, and the implications each suggests for developing future practices of sexuality education. The findings of the study highlight the significant contribution of participatory arts-based method, in enabling education that starts from the silenced experiences of young people.

The warrior girls of Rwanda: challenging and calling forward alternative gender norms

Ananda Breed and Sarah Huxley, University of Lincoln, UK

“Gira Ingoma – One Drum Per Girl”, one of the Mobile Arts for Peace (MAP) projects in Rwanda, aims to address gender stereotypes, and discriminatory practices and perceptions, through engaging girls in non-traditional activities in the creative industries. In particular, through warrior drumming, dance (intore), poetry (kwivuga), singing, and drum-stick juggling. In partnership with the Woman Cultural Centre (WCC), 275 from 11 primary and secondary schools in Huye district, supported by their teachers and trainers in 2023–2024, engaged in quarterly festivals with school, sector, district, and provincial stakeholders, to seek greater gender equality in the cultural/educational sectors. On 27 March Ananda Breed and Sarah Huxley participated in the fourth Ingoma Nshya festival at an outdoor stadium in Huye, Rwanda. Over 275 girls contributed to an explosion of energy, living culture and hope. Collectively they went beyond their own bodies and lives; embodying, challenging, and calling forward alternative lived experiences through kweroga (traditionally, male warrior poetry focusing on batt le exploits). Fierce proclamations included: “I am the mighty – I don’t run away”. “We are no longer at the back, and I am ready to bring Ngoma to other children”. “I am fearless!” This alternative presentation shares the experiences of the fourth festival through both film and poetry. It focuses on how drumming, as a cultural art form, reconstructs gender identities/ norms, and how through the live and captured performance, the art form itself, seeks to invigorate a deeper gender perspective within cultural/ educational policy.

Stream 5D — Workshop

Early moves: A collaboration between greater Manchester combined authority and rambert dance company

Daniel Fulvio, Rambert Dance Company, UK

Gross motor skills are the skills that children develop using their whole body and provide the foundation for developing healthy bodies and social and emotional wellbeing. In 2023/2024, we conducted a test and

learn project with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to explore how dance could be used to build core strength and confidence in early years settings. Building on the learning from this, we are now set to deliver a training programme to nursery practitioners in neighbourhoods in Greater Manchester with the lowest percentage of children at the Expected Level of Development in Physical Development. Rambert will continue to support the nursery practitioners as they deliver regular sessions in their workplaces and to assess outcomes. In addition to outcomes for children, we will also track changes in level of work satisfaction, an unexpected outcome from the test and learn phase.

The project is set to play a pivotal role in the Greater Manchester Creative Health strategy for the next few years. Our aspiration is to expand the initiative beyond Greater Manchester and integrate it into nursery settings across England. I would love to conduct a workshop that explores the two main aims of this project — to build core strength of children, while increasing work satisfaction of early years practitioners. It links to the overarching conference theme ‘Children and Future Making’ and, in particular, the sub themes of Policy, Intervention and Evaluation and Health, Wellbeing, and Embodiment.

In the workshop I will do as follows:

Group discussion about creativity in nursery settings, what are the practical challenges in setting this up?

Sharing video case studies of practitioners from the test and learn

A demonstration of an early years movement workshop with a Rambert facilitator

The chance for the group to give feedback

Stream 5E — Workshop

Dismantle initiative — dismantling ableism and promoting proactive inclusion

Sarah Arch, DisMantle Initiative, UK

To foster cultural change conducive to improving societal attitudes towards disabled individuals, it is imperative to first understand the lived experiences of disability. However, rather than focussing on diagnoses and conditions of individuals, we will centre the pervasive and systemic nature of ableism and its consequential impact in creating societal barriers for disabled people to explore the lived reality of being disabled in the current world. At its core, ableism reflects a deep-seated belief that non-disabled and neurotypical people are both the norm and are superior to anyone who does not fit into these narrow societal norms. Ableism manifests through various channels, from educational systems that prioritises standardised measures of learning and achieving, to classrooms and teaching practices that erase disabled cultures, and social environments that perpetuate stigmatisation and exclusion of those whose bodies do not fit within societal norms. Using a variety of case studies, this workshop aims to create a space of psychological safety for professionals to participate in interactive discussions and reflective exercises that will allow participants to unpack the nuanced manifestations of ableism and the detrimental impact it has on all of us. To complement the case studies, we will use real life situations, scenarios, and media stories where disabled people’s needs have been misunderstood, ignored, disregarded, or misrepresented to explore ableism in action within society. We will examine how traditional lenses of disability perpetuate both ableism and our own biases and the impact this has on continuing the cycle of ableism and barriers before moving on to explore updated ways of viewing disability, as well as the concept of “Disability Neutrality”— the notion that disability is not inherently negative or positive but that all disabilities come with both positive aspects and negative aspects. We will then move on to delve into the concept of anti-ableism — a proactive stance that challenges discriminatory practices, advocates for the rights and dignity of disabled people and celebrates non- disabled identities to reach disability neutrality. By embracing anti-ableism, participants will examine strategies for disrupting ableist narratives, fostering empathy and understanding, and promoting inclusive policies and practices within educational settings, communities, and beyond. Furthermore, this workshop will underscore the importance of real proactive inclusion as a guiding principle in creating environments where everyone feels valued and

supported. Through, group activities, and collaborative problem-solving, participants will explore practical approaches to designing inclusive environments, fostering peer relationships, and accommodating diverse needs to ensure that no-one is left behind. By illuminating the complexities of ableism and fostering dialogue among educators, practitioners, and researchers, this session aims to catalyse collective action towards dismantling ableist structures and cultivating environments where everyone can thrive. Ultimately, we aspire to pass the mantle of proactive inclusion to participants by empowering participants to become agents of change, championing Disability Neutrality and anti-ableism, so proactive inclusion becomes the cornerstone of childhood experiences.