Hilary Monk

Intergenerational Family Dialogues: A Cultural Historical Tool Involving Family Members as Co-researchers Working with Visual Data

Intergenerational family research is both rich and complex. The choice of theoretical and methodological approaches that afford investigation into the everyday lives of families can be challenging. This chapter introduces a methodological tool that enables researchers and family members to work together as co-researchers using visual data generation techniques to explore their everyday lived experiences. Framed in cultural-historical theory the intergenerational family dialogue builds on the broad concept of informal conversations enabling the exchange of ideas between young children, their parents and grandparents. Family members act as co-researchers involved in the iterative process of generating and analysing visual data. The chapter contains illustrations drawn from a study of three Australian families investigating their everyday family practices. Intergenerational family dialogues were found to facilitate the exploration of family development and learning in motion, over time and between generations. Although the dialogues are anchored in a specific family, the findings contribute to a wider understanding of community and societal practices.

Early Childhood Educators' Experiences and Perceptions of Professionalism and Professionalisation in the Asian Context.

ABSTRACT Increasingly early childhood educators are referred to as “professionals,” but how do they view themselves in terms of professionalism? What does it mean to be an early childhood professional? This study explored the views of 78 Asian early childhood educators who were upgrading their qualifications to degree level. In groups of five to eight, participants visually created and explained metaphors of professionalism as a class activity. The visual metaphors were analysed using Gleeson’s polytextual thematic analysis with Rogoff’s personal, interpersonal and institutional planes as the theoretical framework. Findings revealed that the educators’ perspectives of professionalism and professionalisation related to their work–life roles, their cultural understandings and relationships, and how they believed they were viewed by others in relation to the status of early childhood education. This study provides an insight into perceptions and challenges related to the developing professionalism and professionalisation of early childhood educators in Asian contexts.

Rising from the “Ashes”: Quality Early Childhood Education as a Panacea for National Development in Sierra Leone

The importance of early childhood education has now become the major focus of policy-making in national development agendas in many advanced and majority of poor economies. This push is based on overwhelming research evidence that quality early education builds strong foundation for further learning and reduces economic and social inequalities (Heckman JJ, Investing in disadvantaged young children is an economically efficient policy. Paper presented at the Committee for Economic Development, New York. Retrieved April 16, 2016, from http://jenni.uchicago.edu/Australia/invest-disadv_2005-12-22_247pm_awb.pdf, 2006; Heckman JJ, Moon SH, Pinto R, Savelyev P, Yavitz A, A new cost-benefit and rate of return analysis for the Perry preschool program: a summary, working paper. Retrieved from http://www.nber.org/papers/w16180.pdf, 2010). In Sierra Leone in West Africa, early childhood education is at an embryonic stage, and there are many issues that have impacted on its lack of advancement. This chapter explores the nature of early childhood development and education by focusing on the barriers and possibilities and to place it in center stage in the postwar reconstruction of Sierra Leone. This chapter argued that in a country influenced by a past, present, and future landscape; indigenous tradition; and postcolonial history, a post-conflict recovery can neither ignore early childhood education nor relegate it to the lower end of policy-making in the quest for economic development and national stability.

New Mothers Transitioning to Employment: Impact on Infant Feeding Practices

In many countries, including Australia, new mothers return to employment before their child is 12 months old (Marinelli et al., Breastfeed Med 8(1):137–142. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2013.9999, 2013). During this time the woman and her infant undergo multiple transitions. They need to adjust to time away from each other, new significant caregivers and changes associated with infant feeding. Although breastfeeding benefits are well documented (World Health Organization, Health topics: Breastfeeding. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/topics/breastfeeding/en/, 2012), many women chose to transition to bottle feeding in preparation for returning to work (Bai and Wunderlich, J Midwifery Womens Health 58(6):690–696. doi: 10.1111/jmwh.12072, 2013). As infant feeding occurs within social and cultural contexts, these can have significant influence on a mother’s decision making (Leeming et al., Psychol Health 28(4):450–468. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2012.737465, 2013). Our interdisciplinary study framed within sociocultural theory found three interconnected themes relating to infant feeding: women’s choices, interpersonal tensions and institutional expectations. These arose from family, workplace and nonparental childcare contexts. Cultural practices in these multifaceted and complex contexts were experienced together by mother and infant during the transition of mother’s return to employment. We provide a model of transition relationships in cultural contexts.