The Problems with Using the Concept of ‘Citizenship’ in Early Years Policy
Abstract
Early years policy increasingly uses the concept of ‘citizenship’ in relation to children in Australia and worldwide. This concept is used as a taken-for-granted idea; however, there is no singularly agreed-upon answer to the question of what ‘citizenship’ means when used in relation to children, and what practical considerations it carries both for policymaking and for implementation. This article introduces theoretical ideas of ‘citizenship’ from the field of political theory in order to begin a discussion on how we imagine and might imagine children as citizens in policy discourses. Some conceptualisations of children as citizens are also discussed and questioned as starting points to consider in regard to the use of the notion of children as citizens in policy and practice.
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Biographies
ZSUZSA MILLEI currently lectures in child development, children's services, sociology and politics of education at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Her work is located in an interdisciplinary field of early childhood education, early years policy, sociology of childhood and education, and politics. Her research brings theoretical understandings into policymaking, pedagogy and classroom practices in order to serve social justice agendas related to children and youth. Zsuzsa's research expertise and publications can be divided into three intertwined areas: early years policy; theories of classroom discipline; and comparative studies on the constitutions of the child in early childhood education and care. She is a member of the Centre for Professional Learning in Education and a Fellow at the Australian Institute of Social Inclusion and Wellbeing at the University of Newcastle, NSW.
ROBERT IMRE is a lecturer in politics at the University of Newcastle, Australia. He has published in a number of fields related to politics, including political theory, foreign policy, terrorism, migration, refugees, among others.
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Article first published online: January 1, 2009
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