Children at 'risk' - Negotiating risks in early childhood education and care

The main project aims at exploring the notion of 'risk' in a broad context of ECEC. In order to highlight the cultural values and norms embodied in practices in Norway, we have chosen to implement a comparative study with kindergartens in France. The project will explore how everyday life in kindergarten is interwoven with risk knowledge about body, movement and health. Our interest is how 'risk' constructions is deployed and distributed, individually experienced, negotiated and made meaningful among professionals, parents and children in Norway as well as in France. The purpose of the project is to gain knowledge about how 'risk' is expressed, manufactured and negotiated in ECEC institutions in the light of policy and academic documents, academia, own professional knowledge and practice or local traditions. Further the project will explore how health and 'risk' are understood and practiced in ECEC institutions in Norway and France, how physical activities are organized and performed, how food and meals are organized and performed and how these practices are negotiated and talked about among professionals, parents and children. Finally the project will gain knowledge about what didactical tools and professional practices are chosen, implemented and governed in the ECEC institutions in the light of 'risk' discourses. The knowledge to be produced will contribute to the development of professional practices, which are more sensitive to risk construction and management in ECEC. Research contextualized in the daily life of children and adults requires special ethical considerations related to power and power relations between researchers and research participants. The presence of the researcher may represent an opportunity for reflection and discussion for the involved children and other research participants. However, the researchers must be alert to the risk of invading the privacy and personal space of the participants involved.