Papers by Rachel C Berman
Canadian Journal of Sociology, Sep 30, 2019
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Journal of Curriculum, Teaching, Learning and Leadership in Education, 2019
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Atlantis: Critical Studies in Gender, Culture & Social Justice
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JOURNAL OF CHILDHOOD STUDIES, 2017
Psychological research on Canadian children and race has
shown that young White and racialized ch... more Psychological research on Canadian children and race has
shown that young White and racialized children generally have
a pro-White bias. While scholars have utilized developmental
or social psychological explanations for this finding, none
have used an antiracism lens to interpret children’s racial
attitudes or to develop an antiracism pedagogy. To address
this research gap, this article uses antiracism theory as an
analytical tool to explore the social-historical processes that
have affected how children evaluate racial differences and
White identity. It also briefly proposes antiracism teaching
practices specific to early childhood education settings.
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International Critical Childhood Policy Studies, 2017
In the current qualitative study, we take a discursive approach, and draw on critical race theory... more In the current qualitative study, we take a discursive approach, and draw on critical race theory (CRT) (Gillborn & Ladson-Billings, 2010) and ideas from the theory of colorblind racism (Bonilla-Silva, 2009), as we examine how ‘racial incidents’ and the (non-)reporting of racial incidents in child care programs are framed in the interview responses of 11 early childhood educators in Toronto, Canada. In a discursive approach to data analysis, “[t]exts are analysed for the way in which the discourses within them construct people and situations, for arguments used to legitimate particular viewpoints, and for the way in which those viewpoints and arguments are expressed. Analyses are informed by theory” (Bazeley, 2013, p. 219).
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This article explores how multicultural policy approaches, which mandate the inclusion of cultura... more This article explores how multicultural policy approaches, which mandate the inclusion of culturally and ethnically ‘diverse’ play materials in early childhood classrooms influence the pedagogical practice of educators and, in turn, children’s play and social interactions. Using data collected through participant observation of children’s play in a preschool/ kindergarten classroom, interviews with early childhood professionals, and document analysis of a particular early years policy, we highlight the shortcomings of the focus on physical materials as the primary strategy for addressing ‘race’ and other forms of difference in early childhood education. Assumptions about children’s play are examined and critiqued, with examples of children’s play episodes provided to emphasize how play reproduces systems of power and oppression present in the broader social context. A number of recommendations are offered for both professional practice and the reconceptualization of early childhood policy.
EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE, 2017 VOL. 187, NOS. 5–6, 827–839 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1223065
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This paper focuses on 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early childhood educators who ... more This paper focuses on 11 in-depth semi-structured interviews with early childhood educators who responded to a question about reporting racial incidents as a ‘Serious Occurrence’ under the guidelines mandated by the City of Toronto Children’s Services Division. We draw on critical race theory and color blind theory in a discursive analysis of participant’s narratives. Results of this analysis suggest that participating early childhood professionals were reluctant to name and acknowledge incidents of racism in early learning environments, and engaged in discursive strategies that minimized and negated such incidents. Implications for the training and education of early childhood educators are noted and implications for provincial policy are discussed.
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This article describes a research study that investigated three- and four-year-old Canadian presc... more This article describes a research study that investigated three- and four-year-old Canadian preschool children’s perceptions about starting kindergarten. Findings from 33 focus-group discussions suggest that children begin to formulate ideas about starting kindergarten prior to school entry. Children’s responses were grouped according to three themes, play versus academic activities and homework; getting bigger but still needing help; and rules. Overall, the responses highlighted their expectations regarding continuity and discontinuity between the two environments. These findings support the position that children should be given the opportunity to contribute to the planning of transition practices.
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Qualitative Inquiry, Jan 1, 2009
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Qualitative Health Research, Jan 1, 2009
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Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering, Jan 1, 2009
This paper reports on the experiences of ten Somali-Canadian mothers parenting children with Auti... more This paper reports on the experiences of ten Somali-Canadian mothers parenting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (asd). Using focus groups and open-ended questions, the study asked the mothers to narrate their experiences and beliefs regarding the stresses they face in parenting a child with asd. Many of the stresses reported by the mothers included anxiety over lack of developmental gains in their children with asd and the resulting issues over safety and future independence. Tensions with key professionals such as teachers and doctors was also noted as causing considerable stress and was perceived to result from limited language skills on the mothers’ part, and lack of knowledge of Somali culture on the part of the professionals. The absence of an extended family in Canada was also noted as causing undue hardship for these mothers and was complicated by Canadian immigration policies that were perceived as rigid. The mothers’ negative experiences with the general public often led them to isolate themselves and their child. While parenting a child with asd has considerable challenges, being an immigrant mother and a member of a visible minority appears to intensify those challenges.
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Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering, Jan 2009
Unlike most research that employs attachment theory and ideologies of good mothering, this study ... more Unlike most research that employs attachment theory and ideologies of good mothering, this study takes a feminist theoretical perspective in order to explore positive aspects of the mother-child relationship, as described by mothers of children on the autism spectrum. Qualitative oral history interviews were conducted with five mothers of children diagnosed with asd (autism spectrum disorder) in Toronto and the York Region of Ontario. Three themes emerged from the data analysis: building a bond through learning and growth of the self; “you will grow with them and your love will grow”; and “find support where you can from people who will understand.” The findings from this study indicate that mothers of children on the autism spectrum can experience their mother-child relationship as a positive bond, one that develops as result of the mothers’ self reflection and growth, which they in turn attribute to the influence of their children, and give this bond back to their children through their mothering practices.These findings make the case that the scope of intervention services must be broadened to focus on facilitating, and acknowledging the positive side of the mother-child relationship amongst families of children on the autism spectrum.
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Journal of the Association for …, Jan 1, 2007
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Abstract: The mostly quantitative studies to date on the impact of post-traumatic stress disorde... more Abstract: The mostly quantitative studies to date on the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on family functioning have involved comparing veterans suffering from PTSD with other categories of veterans, by examining psychiatric records, administering self-report instruments, and/or conducting structured interviews. This paper augments these findings with a thematic analysis of inten- sive semi-structured interviews that were carried out in 2009/10 with adolescent children of members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF). These adolescents attended the high school in “Armyville,” a community that experienced several deployments to Afghanistan between 2002 and 2012. As part of a large, mixed- methods study, we focused on eight of the 17 (out of a total of 61) interview participants who indicated that their fathers or stepfathers had been afflicted with PTSD, in order to explore and discuss the key themes that emerged from their interviews: parental emotional unavailability, parentification, isolation, and school-based extrafamilial support. As illustrated by our interview participants, parentification, being a young carer, and acting out comprise three responses to the destabilizing of family dynamics that often accompanies parental PTSD. We conclude with suggestions for further research and for enhanced school support for adolescents affected by parental PTSD.
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Journal of Youth and …, Jan 1, 1997
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Child and Youth Care …, Jan 1, 1998
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Papers by Rachel C Berman
shown that young White and racialized children generally have
a pro-White bias. While scholars have utilized developmental
or social psychological explanations for this finding, none
have used an antiracism lens to interpret children’s racial
attitudes or to develop an antiracism pedagogy. To address
this research gap, this article uses antiracism theory as an
analytical tool to explore the social-historical processes that
have affected how children evaluate racial differences and
White identity. It also briefly proposes antiracism teaching
practices specific to early childhood education settings.
EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE, 2017 VOL. 187, NOS. 5–6, 827–839 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1223065
shown that young White and racialized children generally have
a pro-White bias. While scholars have utilized developmental
or social psychological explanations for this finding, none
have used an antiracism lens to interpret children’s racial
attitudes or to develop an antiracism pedagogy. To address
this research gap, this article uses antiracism theory as an
analytical tool to explore the social-historical processes that
have affected how children evaluate racial differences and
White identity. It also briefly proposes antiracism teaching
practices specific to early childhood education settings.
EARLY CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND CARE, 2017 VOL. 187, NOS. 5–6, 827–839 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1223065
This vital text encourages rethinking how narratives of equity and inclusion are constructed and what this means for young children and their families in Ontario, as well as throughout Canada. This is an essential resource for students in early childhood education and care, early childhood studies, and education programs.