Disciplining Professionals: A Feminist Discourse Analysis of Public Preschool Teachers. (September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sisson, Jamie Huff; Iverson, Susan V.
• Is Part Of: Contemporary issues in early childhood. Volume 15:Number 3(2014)
• Page Start: 217
• Page End: 230
• Publication Date: 2014-09
• Subjects: Child development -- Periodicals; Early childhood education -- Periodicals; Children -- Periodicals; Social work with children -- Periodicals; 305.231
• DOI: 10.2304/ciec.2014.15.3.217
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1463-9491

Abstract

Educational reforms across the globe have had implications for the work of preschool teachers and thus their professional identities. This article draws on a feminist discourse lens to examine data collected from a recent narrative inquiry focused on understanding the professional identities of five public preschool teachers in the USA. This analysis identifies two discourses (the discourse of professionalism and the discourse of the caregiver), bringing to light the discursive tensions that existed within this context, and examines how dominate discourses construct a double bind that leaves preschool teachers with conflicting identities as they navigate professional expectations.