DOING TIME IN NURSERY: NAVIGATING THE RULES AND ESTABLISHING A ‘LIFE’

Marlow, Jane (2014) DOING TIME IN NURSERY: NAVIGATING THE RULES AND ESTABLISHING A ‘LIFE’. Doctoral thesis, University of East Anglia.

Preview

PDF Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

This is a study of a privately owned, publically funded nursery for children before they start school. It was instigated by a desire to acquire a detailed understanding of the nursery, in terms of the actions of adults and children, at a time of rapid expansion in childcare provision to support working mothers and disadvantaged children in the UK. Field notes collected primarily through observation over a two year period, in an ethnographic manner, form the core of the material contained in this thesis. They are presented to illustrate the ‘everyday’ actions of adults and children. A range of theoretical ideas, associated with a social constructionist perspective, are used to offer a possible interpretation of the meaning or significance of these commonly occurring patterns of behaviour. Initial analysis highlighted the controlling actions of adults. As the study progressed, it became evident, as others have noted in similar contexts, that young children were able to develop and define a relatively distinct life for themselves in the confined and constrained environment. Later stages of this study revealed the way in which individuals created, as was intended, relatively unique but, possibly, limiting forms of existence. Specifically, this information maybe of interest to early childhood students and practitioners working with young children but the intention was to make this material accessible to a wider range of interested parties. It is hoped that those who read it will give some thought to the relevance or desirability of this type of experience for children, before they begin school in the UK, while acknowledging the localised features of the context, the author’s background and assumptions as well as the limitations attributed to the chosen methodological approach.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Education and Lifelong Learning
Depositing User:	Nicola Veasy
Date Deposited:	03 Mar 2015 12:13
Last Modified:	10 Feb 2022 10:10
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/52522
DOI:

Downloads

Actions (login required)

View Item