Philosophy of Early Childhood Education

Sandy Farquhar is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Education at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is currently lecturing in early childhood curriculum and professional studies. Peter Fitzsimons has, at various times, been a teacher, professional musician, radio journalist, factory manager, harassed parent, and an educational management consultant. He was also recently awarded a PhD for his work on Nietzsche and Education.

“All the contributors challenge traditional ways of thinking about early childhood. Drawing on many postmodern thinkers such as Foucault, Derrida, Deleuze, Guattari, and Lyotard, they suggest some of the limitations that have emerged from the developmental emphasis that sees children as becoming, rather than being.” (CHOICE, March 2009)

• Editorial (Michael A. Peters, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). Introduction (Sandy Farquhar, University of Aukland) and Peter Fitzsimons, University of Aukland).1. Meetings Across the Paradigmatic Divide (Peter Moss, Institute of Education, University of London).2. The Gift Paradigm in Early Childhood Education (Genevieve Vaughan, Austin, Texas and Eila Estola, University of Oulu).3. Conceptions of the Self in Early Childhood: Territorializing identities (Liselott Borgnon, Institute of Education, Stockholm).4. Deconstructing and Transgressing the Theory – Practice dichotomy in early childhood education (Hillevi Lenz Taguchi, Institute of Education, Stockholm).5. In Early Childhood: What's language about? (Liane Mozère).6. The Politics of Processes and Products in Education: An early childhood metanarrative crisis? (Andrew Gibbons, New Zealand Tertiary College, Aukland).7. (Re)Positioning the Child in the Policy/Politics of Early Childhood (Christine Woodrow, University of Western Sydney and Frances Press, Charles Sturt University).Notes on Contributors.Index.