Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood-2012-Ritchie-86-98.pdf (250.9 kB)
Early childhood education as a site of ecocentric counter-colonial endeavour in aotearoa New Zealand
This article draws upon a range of theoretical domains, first to outline the historical rationale for the urgent changes needed to challenge and transform the dominator culture which has justified exploitation of Indigenous peoples and the resources of the earth. It invites educators to reconsider the narratives that are either consciously or inadvertently promoted in our work, suggesting that we can learn from Indigenous epistemologies in which humans are situated alongside earth others, as respectful, related guardians and caretakers. It finally draws on some examples from a recent qualitative study conducted with ten early childhood centres from across Aotearoa, to illuminate possibilities for enactment of counter-colonial renarrativisation within early childhood settings in service of an ethical project of enhancing relationalities, reconnecting children and their families with the more-than-human world.
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Ritchie, J. (2012). Early childhood education as a site of ecocentric counter-colonial endeavour in aotearoa New Zealand. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 13(2), 86-98. https://doi.org/10.2304/ciec.2012.13.2.86Publisher DOI
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Contemporary Issues in Early ChildhoodVolume
13Issue
2Publication date
2012-10-29Pagination
86-98Publisher
SAGE PublicationsPublication status
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ArticleOnline publication date
2012-01-01ISSN
1463-9491eISSN
1463-9491Language
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