Pre-Congress Day: Critical Qualitative Studies in Early Childhood Assemblage

  Eighth International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry

May 16-19, 2012

As neoliberal networks of power have resulted in globalized discourses, redistribution of resources, and new forms of corporatization and profiteering, research perspectives/methods that would challenge and counter such hegemony are necessary. This pre-congress day of scholarship is the continued work of an international research partnership that is using critical qualitative research methods to unmask the policy assemblages (related to childhood public policy) in diverse geopolitical locations. Included in the multiyear series of critical qualitative studies are the following purposes, components and methods.

General Assemblage Research Purposes:

Collaboratively construct multi-staged, multi-layered qualitative research projects that focus critically on early childhood public policy locally and globally. Critically examine dominant early childhood assemblage(s) in diverse geopolitical locations. Construct and support forms of re-narrativization that revision the early childhood assemblage toward equity, support for diversity, and social and environmental justice.

Common components infused throughout all assemblage studies globally:

Histories/Herstories
Geopolitical Context
Concern for Marginalization and Privilege (theoretical perspectives that identify with traditionally marginalized (e.g. peoples, theories/perspectives that unmask)
Social and Ecological Justice, Politics

Research methodologies:

Juxtaposition of perspectives alongside the assemblage
Creation of cultural circles of participants to share meaning regarding the assemblage
Textual analysis (e.g. policy documents)
Testimonio, interviews, focus groups
Questioning/interviewing those in power

Critical Qualitative Studies in Early Childhood Assemblage research scholars represent Canada, Norway, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Qatar, the European Union, and the United States. The group of international early childhood studies policy scholars meets every six months as pre-congress/conference activities at the IQIC (in May) and at the Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education Conference (in October).

Information can be obtained from Gaile S. Cannella, University of North Texas, % Kenya Wolff,

kenyawolff@unt.edu