Triadic conflict mediation as socialization into perspective taking in Swedish preschools

This is a video-ethnographic language socialisation study that investigates the discursive, linguistic and embodied characteristics of the way kindergarten teachers and kindergarten children deal with conflict mediation and resolution. The study describes how young children (3–5 years old) in several Swedish kindergartens are socialised into the interactional competences and perspective taking necessary for managing conflict situations.

The study shows that teacher-led conflict resolution was achieved through triadic interactions in which the kindergarten teacher acted as a mediator. The teacher asked questions to encourage and direct the children to express their will, needs, and wishes to each other and asked the other children to listen. The article argues that such discursive practices socialise children into perspective taking and that this socialisation is linked to further societal norms in Swedish kindergartens and in Swedish society. These norms are democratic values of equality, autonomy, individualism and solidarity. 

45 children and 10 kindergarten teachers from three different kindergartens participated in the study. Two of the kindergartens were located in middle-class areas and one was in an area of low socioeconomic status. Approximately 30 hours of video was recorded from each of the kindergartens. 54 conflicts were identified, most often in connection with free play, and the kindergarten teacher’s conflict mediation was the subject of the analysis.

Cekaite, A. (2019). "Triadic conflict mediation as socialization into perspective taking in Swedish preschools". Linguistics and Education, 59:e100753.