Children’s lives in the age of the Anthropocene

• In these times, when uncertainty, instability, complexity and rapid change are creating environmental, economic, and social challenges young children are most affected by ongoing human impacts on the Earth. This symposium focuses on early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) in relation to shifts in theory, policy and pedagogy. In this presentation, we bring together international perspectives to critically reflect, but also highlight ways forward in ECEfS. We especially discuss and critically analyse children’s lives today in the age of the Anthropocene in the context of both historical and contemporary theories in early childhood education. We offer contemporary post-humanist research that aims to challenge Anthropocentric thinking about the human and nature interrelationships and has significant implications for shifting pedagogy in early childhood education. In addition, we share a broad international overview on curriculum and policy shifts in ECEfS with a focus on new ECEfS benchmarks recently established in some national curriculum documents. Lastly, we recognise that children’s lives in the age of the Anthropocene are influenced by political and cultural contexts and offer insights into possible steps for change.  Overall, we aim to challenge assumptions and orthodoxies for transformative change to happen internationally, both in ECEfS research and in early childhood education theory, policy and pedagogy.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap -- Pedagogik (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences -- Pedagogy (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

antropocen

early childhood education

education for sustainability

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

kon (ämneskategori)