Reflections about social sustainability in applying an anti-bullying concept in ECEC-center: focusing on children’s positions and pedagogue's judgement

This study explores the role of pedagogues in applying the anti-bullying concept, Best Buddies, in ECEC, and the concepts impact on children’s participation. The concept aims to prevent bullying. However, research indicates a lack of critical reflection among pedagogues in using such concepts (Aabro, 2019; Finne, 2021), and a risk of excluding children who don’t meet the manual-based concept’s criteria (Pedersen, 2018; Buus, 2019). The theoretical framework draws on a post-structuralist paradigm and Hannah Arendt’s theory of judgement (Foucault, 1997; Arendt, 2006). This allows analysis of how discursive practices embedded in the manual-based concept condition children’s subject positions, and how the concept influences pedagogues’ ability to engage in an enlarged and representative thinking. The study is situated in a qualitative research paradigm (Hennink et. al. 2020), and videoobservations were made in Danish ECEC-settings. The analysis is conducted through a reflexive thematic analysis. Informed consent was negotiated with the parents of the children involved. Pseudonyms have replaced the names of participants. Despite Best Buddies’ aim to create socially sustainable children’s environments, observations reveal elements that are not socially sustainable: some of the children’s statements are ignored or altered if they don’t fit the concept; conflict discussions are abstract and superficial; children are encouraged to respond in certain ways rather than relate to subjects. We argue that the issues we identify are inherent in the conceptualization of pedagogical practice: that pedagogues must follow a predetermined manual instead of engaging in the emergent interaction. The results will be used in reflection-workshops with pedagogues. anti-bullying concept in ECEC, children´s positons, pedagogue´s jugdement, social sustainability, discursive practice This application discusses an ongoing piece of research and findings may be preliminary/emerging.