Meeting the cultural needs of young children in deeply divided societies
Paul Connoll, School of Education, Queen's University Belfast
The context for the paper
Religion has historically been the marker of difference in Northern Ireland, where the Protestant majority continue to identify with the United Kingdom whilst the Roman Catholic minority feel a stronger identification with the Irish Republic. As a result, 75% of this deeply divided population continue to live in segregated areas, and 95% of children attend segregated schools. Wall murals, security gates, and ‘peace lines’ continue to act as reminders of the 25-year armed conflict which resulted in 3000 deaths and 40,000 injured. Although the peace process has brought stability, deep divisions still remain, and it is important to understand their effects on children, in order to provide appropriate support for their insecurities and misconceptions.
Too young to notice?
This project was based on an understanding that cultural identity or ethnicity is socially constructed and ‘learned’ by children, but is then deemed to be natural and inevitable rather than an artefact of society. The intention was to listen to what children had to say - in their own words - about a range of images of daily life in Northern Ireland. In all, 352 children aged 3-6 participated in the study.
Although 3-year-olds displayed little knowledge of the symbols or activities in the photographs, their responses demonstrated that they were already tuned in to the cultural preferences of their own community, and had acquired a community habitus, which structured their thinking and behaviour. By the age of 6, a third of the children could articulate a strong sense of ethnic identity through their associations with cultural symbols and artefacts. (A development that has interesting parallels with Vygotsky’s concept of internalisation.) These deep-seated attitudes, acquired in the home, presented obstacles to change in the communities.
The Media Initiative for Children programme
This programme combined short narrative ‘messages’ displayed on prime time television with curricular resources provided in early years settings, and the active involvement of parents. The focus was on understanding of exclusion rather than identity. Training and support was provided for staff, and the programme was carefully evaluated.
Children participating in the programme displayed increased awareness of processes of exclusion, and an increased willingness to be inclusive. The success of the programme demonstrated the importance of including evaluation in the design of any intervention and the value of both quantitative and qualitative data.
Other important messages from the project were identified. These included the importance of working with parents and local communities in order to bring about fundamental changes in attitudes; and the value of adopting a children’s rights approach to working with young children. It was also clear that early years staff implementing such a programme need support, as their own attitudes and beliefs are challenged by their involvement.
Research questions
- What are the most effective ways to challenge and change deep-seated exclusionary beliefs and attitudes among communities with a history of division and conflict?
- How can a children's rights perspective enhance interventions of this kind?
- What can we learn from adopting social epidemiology research methods?
- To what extent do children's interactions with each other and adults in early years settings foster including or excluding behaviour?
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