On Summoning Queer Joy in Early Childhood Education: Some Findings from New Brunswick, Canada
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| Title: | On Summoning Queer Joy in Early Childhood Education: Some Findings from New Brunswick, Canada |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Casey Burkholder (ORCID |
| Source: | Journal of Early Childhood Research. 2025 23(3):235-251. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 17 |
| Publication Date: | 2025 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Education Level: | Early Childhood Education |
| Descriptors: | Foreign Countries, Early Childhood Education, Sex Education, Early Childhood Teachers, LGBTQ People, Psychological Patterns, Curriculum, Social Bias |
| Geographic Terms: | Canada |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1476718X251318894 |
| ISSN: | 1476-718X 1741-2927 |
| Abstract: | What might the concept of queer joy offer to early childhood educators in New Brunswick, Canada? As a part of a study about the supports and barriers to comprehensive sexuality education in New Brunswick, Canada, we sought to speak with early childhood educators about the ways in which sexuality education happens in early childhood centers. We wondered: What kinds of sexuality education is already happening within early childhood centers and under what conditions? What do educators need to feel supported in this work? In a study with 11 early childhood educators, we found that they often spoke about 2SLGBTQI+ people and families through a lens of inclusion. Yet, despite this inclusion of 2SLGBTQI+ identities into the normative ECE space, there was no understanding of queerness and transness as joyful--and no real thinking through what queerness and transness might offer the educator and the classroom space in early childhood centers. As we imagine the possibilities for sexuality education within ECE contexts, we look forward to seeing what might happen when children and educators summon queer joy. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Entry Date: | 2025 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1481164 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | What might the concept of queer joy offer to early childhood educators in New Brunswick, Canada? As a part of a study about the supports and barriers to comprehensive sexuality education in New Brunswick, Canada, we sought to speak with early childhood educators about the ways in which sexuality education happens in early childhood centers. We wondered: What kinds of sexuality education is already happening within early childhood centers and under what conditions? What do educators need to feel supported in this work? In a study with 11 early childhood educators, we found that they often spoke about 2SLGBTQI+ people and families through a lens of inclusion. Yet, despite this inclusion of 2SLGBTQI+ identities into the normative ECE space, there was no understanding of queerness and transness as joyful--and no real thinking through what queerness and transness might offer the educator and the classroom space in early childhood centers. As we imagine the possibilities for sexuality education within ECE contexts, we look forward to seeing what might happen when children and educators summon queer joy. |
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| ISSN: | 1476-718X 1741-2927 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1476718X251318894 |
