Building positive identities in a culturally safe space: an ethnographic case study from Queensland, Australia
Article
Article Title | Building positive identities in a culturally safe space: an |
---|---|
ERA Journal ID | 20142 |
Article Category | Article |
Authors | Tualaulelei, Eseta (Author) and Taylor-Leech, Kerry (Author) |
Journal Title | Diaspora, Indigenous, and Minority Education |
Journal Citation | 15 (2), pp. 137-149 |
Number of Pages | 13 |
Year | 2021 |
Place of Publication | United States |
ISSN | 1559-5692 |
1559-5706 | |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1080/15595692.2020.1852545 |
Web Address (URL) | https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15595692.2020.1852545 |
Abstract | The early years before compulsory schooling are crucial for children’s identities, including their cultural identities. This article reports on a community collaborative educational program that aimed to promote children’s positive Samoan identities in a culturally safe environment. Data were collected through ethnographic methods, including talanoa (Pacific-style conversations), interviews, and participant observations, along with audio, photo, and video recordings. Analysis revealed developments in the children’s cultural identities over the seven-month study and challenges in creating a culturally safe space within an established English-dominant early childhood center. Key findings connected children’s cultural identity development to spaces that nurture children’s cultural confidence, promote values compatible with family cultures, provide a culturally safe physical environment, and encourage positive relationships. The discussion highlights the complexities of establishing culturally safe spaces in contemporary pluralist societies, and we argue for an expansion of the permissive spaces that constrain such endeavors. |
Keywords | language nest, intercultural education, cultural identity, culturally safe sapce, early childhood |
ANZSRC Field of Research 2020 | 451404. Pacific Peoples early childhood education |
390302. Early childhood education | |
451401. Cultural responsiveness and working with Pacific Peoples communities education | |
Byline Affiliations | School of Education |
Griffith University | |
Institution of Origin | University of Southern Queensland |
https://research.usq.edu.au/item/q5zz5/building-positive-identities-in-a-culturally-safe-space-an-ethnographic-case-study-from-queensland-australia
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