In spite of our apparently connected global environment, people are becoming less connected. Digital communication leads to fewer face-to-face engagements, and many young children are separated from their parents for extended periods. The post-truth phenomenon has resulted in mistrust between policymakers and the people they serve, whilst increased immigration has led to some rich countries adopting a protectionist stance that transforms collaboration into separatism. At its 2014 meeting, the European Early Childhood Education Research Association’s Young Children’s Perspectives Special Interest Group considered how these issues were affecting young children, particularly the many thousands entering Europe at that time as refugees and migrants escaping conflict in their home countries. Many of those displaced young children found themselves situated on the margins of their new contexts. The feeling of being ‘othered’ can be existential for any young child experiencing liminality, yet a sense of belonging is important for young children’s well-being and development of identity: the feeling of belonging lies at the core of social inclusion. This book, the idea for which arose out of this meeting, is drawn from leading edge empirical studies, and reveals the diverse experiences of young children’s marginalisation. This book was originally published as a special issue of the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal.

Practical Research Methods in Education is a hands-on guide which critically explores and scrutinizes research methods used in educational enquiry. Drawing on the research, practical experience and reflections of active researchers, each chapter offers explanations, examples, tasks for students to undertake and suggestions for further reading, all of which are designed to strengthen understanding of practical methods of data collection in educational and social-science research. This insightful book offers: Detailed illustration of a range of data-collection methods and approaches used in educational research Chapters written by active researchers, experienced in addressing challenges of carrying out practical research in education Examples, study tasks and suggestions for further reading in each chapter An exploration of critical reflection and decision-making in relation to research methodology in education Close attention to research ethics Exploring practical methods of data-collection for educational and social-science research, Practical Research Methods in Education is a unique and valuable resource for any students interested and engaged in the planning and completion of their own investigations.

In this classic book on the meaning of multiculturalism in larger American society, Gary Okihiro explores the significance of Asian American experiences from the perspectives of historical consciousness, race, gender, class, and culture. While exploring anew the meanings of Asian American social history, Okihiro argues that the core values and ideals of the nation emanate today not from the so-called mainstream but from the margins, from among Asian and African Americans, Latinos and American Indians, women, and the gay and lesbian community. Those groups in their struggles for equality, have helped to preserve and advance the founders’ ideals and have made America a more democratic place for all.

The importance of early childhood care and education (ECCE) in the lives of very young children is gaining increasing attention around the globe and yet there is a persistent lack of diverse knowledge perspectives on this critical phase. This stems from dominant Eurocentric framings of early childhood research, and related theories. Early Childhood Care and Education at the Margins provides contextual accounts of ECCE in Africa in order to build multiple perspectives and to promote responsive thought and actions. The book is an entry point to knowledge production for birth to three in Africa and responds to the call for the field to be in dialogue with different perspectives that attempt to map concepts, debates and contemporary concerns. In this book, a group of African authors, representing both Anglophone and Francophone Africa, provide insider's perspectives on a wide range of geographic, cultural and thematic positions. In so doing, they show the breadth and depth of ideas on which the ECCE field draws. The chapters in the volume highlight a range of topics including poverty, early socialisation, local care practices, gendered roles, and service provision. They open up important points of departure for thinking about ECCE policy, practice, theory and research. The book presents African perspectives in a globalising world. It is therefore suitable for an international readership. It includes cross-cultural comparisons as well as critiques of dominant discourses which will be of particular interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students active in the field of ECCE, childhood studies, cultural studies and comparative education.

This volume assesses the evidence, and possible mechanisms, for the associations between women's education, fertility preferences, and fertility in developing countries, and how these associations vary across regions. It discusses the implications of these associations for policies in the population, health, and education sectors, including implications for research.

This volume comes at a critical juncture, as global commitments transition from the Millennium Development Goals to Sustainable Development Goals and the wider post-2015 development agenda is being discussed and debated. In these discussions, children and youth have been recognized as one of the nine major groups of civil society whose participation in decision making is essential for achieving sustainable development. There is also a concomitant need for action – innovative, evidence-based approaches to addressing entrenched global challenges or ‘wicked problems’ and engaging youth in those efforts. Within academic discourse, the perspectives and active participation of youth in research has long been debated. It is widely believed that their participation can result in better policy responses and contribute to the development of more relevant and effective interventions and programs to address their needs. However, the engagement of youth in research processes is not without critique; issues such as how to move from tokenism towards authentic participation and empowerment have been critically discussed, and many question if youth can or should even be expected to make change happen. Youth ‘At the Margins’: Critical Perspectives and Experiences of Engaging Youth in Research Worldwide brings together a range of critical and empirical contributions from emerging scholars and seasoned academics alike. Each contribution provides a unique perspective on the potentialities and challenges associated with youth engaged research. The chapters presented in this volume strive to critically interrogate and debate important foundational issues to consider when engaging youth in the research process, such as epistemological and methodological considerations. Important insights into the ethical, pedagogical and practical aspects one must contend with can be gleaned from the selection of chapters here; some of which are primarily theoretical and descriptive, whilst others present empirical data with case examples from around the world. This volume is devoted to showcasing high quality contributions to the scholarly literature on youth engaged research in order to spur further critical debate on the various epistemological, methodological and ethical issues associated with engaging youth in research processes and in addressing intractable global issues. The audience for this volume includes students, researchers and academics within a broad range of fields who are interested in understanding the range of approaches being used worldwide to include youth in research endeavors on issues of global importance including poverty, social exclusion, structural violence, un- and under-employment, education and health.

In An Introduction to Childhood, Heather Montgomery examines the role children have played within anthropology, how they have been studied by anthropologists and how they have been portrayed and analyzed in ethnographic monographs over the last one hundred and fifty years. Offers a comprehensive overview of childhood from an anthropological perspective Draws upon a wide range of examples and evidence from different geographical areas and belief systems Synthesizes existing literature on the anthropology of childhood, while providing a fresh perspective Engages students with illustrative ethnographies to illuminate key topics and themes

Can action research make the project of inclusive education easier? This book provides a practical guide to ways in which research can genuinely help dismantle discriminatory and exclusionary practices. It has insider accounts of action research to help challenge readers' assumptions.

Comprehensive reference work introducing readers to the field of feminist economics. It addresses key concepts as well as feminist economic critiques and reconstructions of major economic theories and policy debates.

This anthology, hailed as a significant contribution to American ethnic studies, features the short stories, poems, and plays of more than thirty Italian American artists. Drawing on their individual and collective backgrounds and experience, these writers convey another vision of American fife. A section of critical essays by established scholars in the field, with topics ranging from specific works and authors to broad literary movements and film studies, analyzes the Italian American phenomenon and the role of ethnicity in literature. The extensive bibliography treats creative works, critical essays, and films dealing with the Italian American experience and promises to be an invaluable research tool.