Making differences and reflecting on diversities: embodied nationality among preschool children

摘要

This paper focuses on embodied practices in processes of nationalization among preschool children at the age of 6. It analyses how children define themselves and others, how they characterize and frame Finnishness through embodiment. The analysis is based on an ethnographic study in two preschool classes. It is argued that nationality works in a gendered way as a source of inclusion and exclusion in children's peer relations: those children who manage to perform Finnishness by continuously proving their cultural flexibility through 'proper' embodiment are included more fluently. The analysis suggests that, particularly in the context of Finland, where cultural diversity is only recently recognized, multiculturalism as a pedagogical framework is insufficient for the promotion of equality in education.