Research about gender provides us with important understandings about how gender constructs our lives and how we construct gender in and through our lives with young children. On this page we will provide updates on gender research that we learn about. If you would like your research shared in this space, please contact us. Barbie and young children's identity formation (Patrick Hughes and Glenda Mac Naughton) For information on this research contact the authors: patrickh@deakin.edu.au or g.macnaughton@edfac.unimelb.edu.au This empirical study of young children’s engagement with the popular culture product ‘Barbie’ has led the researcher to propose an alternative model of identity-formation that can be used to reframe equity pedagogies in early childhood education. This alternative model, they have called a ‘constrained sovereignty’ model of identity formation is built from feminist poststructuralist theory and media and cultural studies.

A South Australian study of professional male child caregivers' beliefs, values and attitudes to children and childcare (Louise Niva). For information on this research contact Louise on lniva@metropolis.net.au This South Australian interpretive study investigated male caregivers' views regarding the nature of their interactions with children in care, employing in-depth interviews, focus groups and grounded theory data analysis. Caregivers' views were categorised into orientations termed nurturing, socialising and educating across five subscales of professional experience: career motivation, job satisfaction, role in children's lives, functions of child care, and optimal caregiver qualities. The NSE attitude scale was developed to determine the priority that male caregivers (N-37) placed on these orientations. Most male participants considered their prime roles in children's lives as educating and socialising them to develop successful life skills and prepare for school, rather than just providing a nurturing role. These findings are discussed with regard to male child caregivers' influence on children's cognitive, emotional and social development, and increasing male participation in this early childhood sector. Men in Early Childhood Teaching (Susan Farquhar). For information on this research contact NZ Council for Educational Research Wellington, NZ. Published in Early Childhood Folio 4, A collection of recent research. Email:  sales@nzcer.org.nz or www. nzcer.org.nz .An easy to read paper aimed at practitioners.  Reports on a study of men's experiences and views of working in ECE.  Examines the unique contributions men make and argues why we need to encourage more men to be involved in working with young children.

Our Families, Our Children (The Lesbian and Gay Child Care Task Force). This is an American based report reviewing the adequacy of childcare services in their responsiveness to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender parent and their children.  For further information contact  Joan Kasotar (Dept. Social and Health Services Office of Child Care Policy, Seattle) kasj300@dshs.wa.gov

Journals that can help with your search for current gender research. A good way to keep up to date with research is via journals that are known for their interest in publishing gender research. In early childhood two journals that are particularly interested in such research are the Journal of Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood and Gender and Education. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood is a new free access on-line journal that has lots of relevant research on equity issues. According to the publishers the journal "incorporates interdisciplinary, cutting edge work which may include the following areas: poststructuralist, postmodern and postcolonial approaches, queer theory, sociology of childhood, alternative viewpoints of child development, and deal with issues such as language and identity, the discourse of difference, new information technologies, stories and voices, curriculum, culture and pedagogy, or any combination of such ideas." Access is FREE to subscribers at: http://www.triangle.co.uk/ciec

Gender and Education is a longstanding international journal on gender issues that often includes research articles on gender in early childhood. In addition, general early childhood journals often have gender research articles within them. For instance, the Australian Journal of Early Childhood has published a number of articles on gender in its forty years existence. The following list details all the articles that have appeared in Australian Journal of Early Childhood about gender. An analysis of these will appear in the journal's 40th Birthday edition in late 2001.
Alloway, N., & King, J. (1991). Self selection - not necessarily protection. Gender equity and free-choice of a computer activity in preschool. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 16(3), 41-46. author, N. (1961).
If teachers listen. Australian Pre-school Quarterly, May, 32. Bailey, T. (1983). Men as teachers of the young. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 8(4), 27-29. Bruce, W. (1985). The implications of sex role stereotyping in the first years of school. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 10(2), 48-52. Butterworth, D. (1991).
Gender equity in early childhood: the state of play. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 16(4), 3-9.
Clyde, M. (1987). Men in early childhood centres. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 12(3), 39-41. Cook, T. (1988).
There's a man in our preschool: a review of men in early childhood education. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 13(1), 19-21. Ebbeck, M. (1985).
Pre-school teachers interactions with boys as compared with girls. A report of an observation study. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 10(2), 26-30. Ebbeck, M. (1998).
Gender in early childhood revisited. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 23(1), 29-33. Elliot, A. (1984).
Creating non-sexist day care environments. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 9(2), 18-23. Fleer, M. (1998).
'Me not a boy, me a person!': deconstructing gendered interactional patterns in early childhood. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 23(1), 22-28.
Holland, A. (1995). Fatherhood in transition: men finding their feet as fathers. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 20(2), 7-12. Holman, J., & Williamson, A. (1979).
Sex labeling: adult perceptions of the child. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 4(1), 41. Lewis, I. (1971).
The family and society. Australian Pre-school Quarterly, Feb, 22-27.
MacNaughton, G. (1996). Is Barbie to blame: reconsidering how children learn gender. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 21(4), 18-22.
MacNaughton, G. (1997). A strategic approach to collaborating with parents for gender equity in early childhood. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 22(1), 23-29.
Meade, A. (1982). Don't take that dress off James! Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 7(3), 37-42. Millard, C. (1995).
Free choice writing in the early years. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 20(1), 33-37.
Mortimer, M. (1979). Sex stereotyping in children's books. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 4(4), 4-8. Moyle, D. (1988).
Should males be included as carers/teachers in early childhood education? Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 13(1), 18-19. Petrie, A. (1992).
Revaluing and rewarding women's work: raising the status of the child care industry. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 17(2), 3-11. Plummer, S., Braithwaite, V., & Holman, J. (1983).
Anything they want to be? Sex-role stereotypes in commercials during children's viewing time. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 8(2), 39. Rickwook, D., & Bussey, K. (1983).
Sex differences in gender schema processing. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 8(2), 40-41. Roberton, B., & Rennie, L. (1991).
Sex-stereotyping of science-related careers by preschool children. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 16(3), 34-37. Rodd, J. (1986).
Sex role stereotypes in student pre-school teachers. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 11(2), 14-17. Silock, A. (1965).
Sex role. Australian Pre-school Quarterly, August, 23-26. Silva, P. (1980).
Experiences, activities and the preschool child: a report from the Dunedin multidisciplinary study. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 5(2), 13-18. Sims, M. (1997).
Gender segregation in child care: what it is and what can we do about it? Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 22(3), 35-39. Smith, A. (1990).
Early childhood on the margins. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 15(4), 12-15. Smith, A., & Grimwood, S. (1983).
Sex role stereotyping and children's concepts of teachers and principals. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 8(2), 23-28. Sumison, J. (1999).
'A feeling of not being welcome': subtle discrimination in early childhood education. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 24(3), 42-46. Warren, K. (1983).
Fathers and childrearing. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 8(4), 22-25. Willis, S. (1990).
Some beliefs about girls, mathematics and the early childhood years. Australian Journal of Early Childhood, 15(1), 47-48.

Diversity Conference 2001 Second National Conference on Reconciliation, Multiculturalism, Immigration and Human Rights

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