How gender is constructed and experienced in the social world of the nursery school. Issue 2 (3rd April 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jones, Charlotte; Aubrey, Carol
• Is Part Of: International journal of early years education. Volume 27:Issue 2(2019)
• Page Start: 153
• Page End: 169
• Publication Date: 2019-04-03
• Subjects: Men and masculinity -- gender construction -- male practitioners; Early childhood education -- Periodicals; Education, Preschool -- Periodicals; Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child development -- Periodicals; 372.2105
• DOI: 10.1080/09669760.2019.1602515
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0966-9760

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This case study attempts to capture the way gender is constructed and experienced in the social world of the nursery school. It presents findings from a staff survey, structured and unstructured observations of one male's and one female's professional practice and one-to-one interviews with children aged three to four years. Despite practitioners' reported intentions to challenge traditional notions of gender, construction of traditional gender distinctions was not problematised by staff and was upheld by comments of children. Children appeared to construct themselves in terms of gender stereotypes and were offered only limited alternative gender positions by the male and female practitioners.