Normalitet i barnehagen: Ansatte og barns forventninger til det å «være normal»

The study is an investigation of normality in kindergarten seen from both child and adult perspectives. Questions that the study seeks to answer are: “What meaning is given to normality by children and employees in kindergarten?” Based on this main question, two sub-questions have been developed: “How and what expectations of normality are communicated in conversations with employees and in interactions between employees and children, and between the children themselves?” And: “What scope of opportunity is available to children and employees in light of the meaning given to normality?”

The results show that children and adults express expectations such as norms and values that imply how the ‘desirable child’ should be. The study has identified ‘Institutional bodies’ as the main theme. Institutional bodies indicate and include bodies that meet the expectations of normality, based on the kindergarten’s primary and secondary objectives and pedagogy. Expectations of children’s and adults’ bodies as being rational emerged as the main result of the study and are seen as pervasive for all ‘bodies’.

The results show that children’s bodies are sought to be regulated and controlled in different ways, with the aim of individual development as well as adaptation to the social community in kindergarten. Furthermore, the theme ‘regulated bodies’ is highlighted and is visible through several secondary thematic areas, where children are sought to be regulated: ‘independent bodies’, ‘flexible bodies’, ‘ready-for-school bodies’ and ‘bodies of solidarity’. At the same time, expectations also emerged that could be identified as ‘different bodies’, which appear as bodies that employees worry about. The theme ‘bodies that worry’ (like the theme ‘regulated bodies’) is seen as superior, and highlights areas, situations and contexts where concern and worry can arise: ‘minority bodies’, ‘bodies with resistance’ as well as ‘girls’ and boys’ bodies’.

The study constitutes a qualitative investigation in which the researcher, with the help of life-world ontology and phenomenological hermeneutics, sought to understand the phenomenon of normality as lived by children and adults in kindergarten.

The study is based on a total of 15 hours of film sequences divided into 168 video observations, over a period of four months, during which the interactions of children and children and adults are focused upon. In addition, interviews have been conducted with all the employees at the kindergarten department in question, as well as with an assistant and two educators: a total of seven interviews.

Strømme, L. M. (2019). “Normalitet i barnehagen: Ansatte og barns forventninger til det å «være normal»”. Akademisk avhandling. Universitetet i Stavanger.