The start!

“Are you a real superhero?” the little boy asks Phoenix. 

“I’m as real as you can get,” Phoenix replies. (Ronson, 2012) 

Ronson (2012) studied street vigilante ‘superheroes’ in Seattle.  These vigilantes describe a common story of using a morality they learned from superhero comics as children to present themselves at night as someone different from the people they are in their day jobs; breaking up fights, protecting women and clearing areas of undesirables – the job of a superhero with the costume to match.  Is the superhero behaviour part of their internal character, or does the mask provide them with values that are externally sourced?  What if the community does not want superheroes and define these people as amateur trouble-makers with delusions of immortality? This interplay between people being agents in their own life and external influences, provides the backdrop for a discussion of how professionals who work with young children are constructed.

Practitioners working in the early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector can find themselves externally constructed in a number of contradictory ways (Osgood, 2009).  First, they are defined by Government policy as society’s very own superheroes; acting to meet the needs of vulnerable children, giving them the best start in life, and enabling parents to work outside the home with the confidence of knowing their child is being effectively looked after.  These tasks require complex skills from the ECEC practitioner which are not reflected in what Osgood suggests is ‘hidden from parental view’: long working hours, poor training and a low salary (Osgood, 2012).
In contradiction to this, practitioners are often defined as disorganised and unprofessional (Osgood, 2009). Lawson (cited in The Guardian, 2006), described the practitioners in nurseries as ‘Illiterate nursery staff discussing their nights out drinking in front of toddlers … creating a generation of "Vicky Pollards".’  Ignoring this opinion of working class culture, this view illustrates Nutbrown’s ‘hair or care’ stereotype (Nutbrown 2012). The origin of this stereotype is suggested by Osgood (2009) as being rooted in the traditionally gendered role of mothering and biological determinism. It asks the questions, what is the point of being highly qualified in something that is perceived as natural? Practitioners can therefore be seen to be struggling for recognition as professionals in an industry holding a number of gendered and classed stereotypes.

This blog will focus on exploring some of the factors that make up the image of a practitioner working with young children, with a specific aim of examining the impact of studying for a degree. I intend to theorise how people are influenced to become who they are and apply this thinking to the ECEC workplace.  The relationship between the individual and their professional image will be explored, and the assumption that higher qualification leads to higher status in the workplace is challenged through discussion with graduates working in the sector.

Please feel free to make comments - the more voices, the greater the chance of change!

References;

The Guardian (2006) Nurseries 'fostering generation of Vicky Pollards'. Available from: http://www.theguardian.com/education/2006/aug/02/schools.uk3 (Accessed 11 February 2015).

Nutbrown, C. (2012) Foundations for Quality; the independent review of early education and childcare qualifications. Department for Education.

Osgood, J. (2009) Childcare workforce reform in England and ‘the early years professional’: a critical discourse analysis. Journal of Education Policy, 24(6); pp.733751.

Osgood, J. (2012) Narratives from the Nursery: Negotiating Professional Identities in Early Childhood. Abingdon: Routledge.

Ronson, J. (2012) Lost at Sea. London: Picador.