Building positive identities in a culturally safe space: an ethnographic case study from Queensland, Australia

Building positive identities in a culturally safe space: an
ethnographic case study from Queensland, Australia

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.