Intersectionality in Early Childhood

Intersectionality is the idea that at any given point in time, there are multiple overlapping and interacting identities making up a person, their experiences, and that inform the way that this person along with their experiences move throughout and are interacted with by the wider world.

For example, take a moment for yourself and list a few of the identities that you have. Now, list the identities of someone close to you—perhaps even your child. Once you have both lists, look at each side-by-side and compare them.

Are any two the same? Highlight them in a similar color, and think (or talk about) how are your experiences in these realms are similar? What are the areas that you both understand, struggle with, or most appreciate? How have these impacted you?

Now, look through the lists and find one identity that is different. If you are close to another person share out, and think. Think about how this identity informs the commonality between you, shifts and changes it. Are you both mothers, but one with economic security, one with less? Are you both males, but one Black and the other Asian? How does your difference inform your sameness?

This is a first step toward understanding the nuance that is intersectionality.

In our ongoing work with young children, it is important for us to identify facets of identity that form their experience of the world as well. No two children experience any part of the world in exactly the same way. For example, take these two fictional children.

Child 1.

  • Age - 3

  • Gender identity: boy

  • SES: middle-high

  • Family context: two-parent, youngest

  • Ethnicity: Latino

Child 2.

  • Age - 3

  • Gender identity: girl

  • SES: middle-high

  • Family context: two-parent, youngest

  • Ethnicity: White

Each child has many commonalities of experience. Both are three, both come from middle/high income families, both are the youngest child of two parent families. There are likely many things, personally and even culturally, that these children will experience in common.

Nonetheless, when we layer on planes of difference (in this example race and gender), the experiences begin to diverge. It is important to note that divergence of itself is not bad. However, divergence does mean that there are times when despite every similarity, there will be pieces of the other’s experience that they will never fully be able to grasp. Empathy and experience are two different things.

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Now for another question; what are the intersectionalities present in the children within your classroom or in your home? (And another!) How might these have a factor in influencing the way they experience the world or that the world responds to them?

Do you have children who are members of an ethnic minority? Whose gender or gender expression may impact the way you respond to their expressions of emotions like anger? Sadness? Use of materials in the classroom? What about socioeconomic diversity and/or disparity among children? What about children whose families look differently than those represented in most picture books? 

To be frank, there are so so so many avenues one could go down that it might seem overwhelming. But the truth is that it doesn’t have to be—being informed about the many different ways children experience the world does not mean we have to know everything. Rather, it just means embracing an increased awareness—something that we can all benefit from.

Happy Monday!

Ron

P.S. Currently loving this intersectionality focused read from Dottir Press.

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Play and Inclusion

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Provocations: A Lot from a Few