Voicing children's critique and utopias

The aim is to present and discuss methods of how to voice children's own perspectives on everyday life in daycare followed by reflections on the significance of such perspectives for pedagogical knowledge and practice. Empowering children's participation is substantiated by methods that enable children to raise and render visible their own critique and wishes related to their everyday life in daycare. Research on how and why to engage children as participants in research and in institutional developments addresses overall interests in democratization and humanization that can be traced back to strategies for Nordic welfare developments and the Conventions on Children's Rights. The theoretical and methodological framework follow the lines of how to form and learn democracy of Lewin (1948) and Dewey (1916). The study is carried out as action research involving 50 children at age three to five, designed to accommodate children's participation through graphic illustrations of young children's critique and utopias. The study is informed by a commitment to democratic participation and processes (Reason and Bradbury 2001, Gunnarsson et al. 2016). Ethical guidelines implied dialogues and discussions with participants (children and pedagogues) round research activities and their participation in rendering results. The children bring up critique and wishes that touch upon structural difficulties, dilemmas and ambivalence in pedagogical work. Some of the more challenging findings addresses, Bodily harm and restrictions, Call for aesthetics an sensuality, Longings for home and parents, Longings for better social relations Making children's voice visible allows preschool teachers to reflect children's knowledge and life word in pedagogical practice. Keywords: empowerment and participation, action research, children's voice, critique and utopias, pedagogical work