Norwegian polyamorous families and their experiences of kindergarten: a narrative inquiry

The study investigates polyamorous families’ experiences of meeting kindergarten. The research question is: How to understand the kindergarten experience of polyamorous families in the allegedly discrimination-free Norway?

The study findings show a clear difference in polyamorous families’ experiences of kindergarten, depending on whether they chose to be open about their family structure. When the families hid their polyamorous lifestyle, they experienced a positive collaboration with the kindergartens. When they were open about their family arrangement, they faced resistance and exclusion, suggesting that the kindergarten’s expectations of parents are strongly influenced by a monogamous norm. An analysis of the framework plan for kindergartens and other relevant documents shows that the plans, despite their goal of including various family structures, are not sufficient in practice to meet the needs of polyamorous families.

The researcher used narrative exploration to understand the experiences of families. The families chose to write their stories together with the researcher, who met the families four times. The first drafts were written based on notes, and were then rewritten and discussed in the subsequent meetings. The families came from different parts of Norway, and all the partners and children lived together. The first family consisted of two men, three women and four children (14, 10, 4 and 2 years). The second family consisted of two men, one woman and one child of 4 years. The sample recruited itself and had participated in a larger study on minorities’ experiences of kindergarten.

Sadownik, A. R. (2023). Norwegian polyamorous families and their experiences of kindergarten: a narrative inquiry. Gender and Education, 35(6-7), 671–689.