Early Childhood Education
Alaina Vasquez
Fall 2018
Introduction
I conducted participant observations of a local early education center over the course of two weeks. Since the organization works with children most of the time I had to choose when I was going to do my observations very carefully. I chose to observe their weekly committee meetings when only program workers and volunteers would be in attendance. I also conducted three face to face interviews with three individuals who work or volunteer for a local early childhood education center. One of the individuals I interviewed was a teacher in the program. Another individual I interviewed was a program assistant who helped with the afterschool programs. The last individual I interviewed is a volunteer for the program. Being able to interview paid members and unpaid volunteers gave me a good perspective on what the program is like to a variety of members. I also conducted research on the organization based on data collected from websites and articles about the organization.
Using the information, I obtain from my observations, interviews and content analysis, I will be connecting that knowledge to a variety of sociological theories. I have found that workers of the education center had different roles and status than the volunteers did. I also found that a lot of the members have a similar reasoning for meaningful action. I have also found that all respondents share a similar belief system. Throughout my research conductions I found significant information on what the childhood education center has already done to make an impact on young children's education. I have found out there a lot of people and organizations that support the center's goals but there are also some people who do not fully support or believe what they do has a direct or long-term impact.
Literature Review
Symbolic Interactionism: Social Roles
Erving Goffman believed that the greatest interest to symbolic interactionism is the symbolic exchange within face to face performances of social roles (Dillon 2013:281). Goffman uses theatrical performance to explain the elements of face to face situations in everyday life (Dillon 2013:281). Goffman states that individuals are social actors that base their performance and presentation of self, according to the roles, parts and routines they come across in everyday life (Dillon 2013:281). Different scenarios, stages and props all affect an individual's presentation of self (Dillon 2013:81). The success of an individual's performance demands on the audience that is present. It also depends on the audience's response to the cues and mistaken signals received from the actors (Dillon 2013:281). Goffman's concepts produced the vocabulary that describes all face to face interactions in every possible situation within social life. He explains that all people perform a variety of social roles to meet the expected behavior of the role (Dillon 2013:282). For example, an individual can be a student, daughter, parent, friend, and an employee. However, they act a different way within each role. An individual can act responsible and respectful when they are playing the role of a daughter or student. The same individual can act fun and adventurous while playing the role of a friend. Goffman says social roles are already socially scripted and people learn their script through socialization (Dillon 2013:282). He also acknowledges that even though our social roles are scripted that does not mean that they are fake (Dillon 2013:282). He also states that all social roles take place in response to others social roles (Dillon 2013:282). Even when someone is not in the presence of other people they are still practicing the social roles needed that they will encounter in the future (Dillon 2013:282). Overall, Goffman emphasizes that social life is a continuous role of performances that aid to the structure of social relationships (Dillon 2013:282).
Symbolic Interactionism: Front Stage & Back Stage
Another symbolic interaction concept Goffman stressed is that individuals have front stage and back stage behavior. Front stage behavior takes place in front of a receiving audience with an individual acting out an appropriate act for the role they are playing (Sandstrom, Martin, and Fine 2006:112). During back stage behavior individuals will be in a different surrounding and often violate or do the opposite of the front stage behavior they previously gave (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). The article illustrates this concept by comparing it to a restaurant and the individual doing the performance as the server. The dinning area in the restaurant where the customers sit and drink acts as the front stage to the server (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). The customers represent the audience. In the front stage of the restaurant the servers are expected to act professional and courteous (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). The restaurants kitchen is the back stage for the server (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). This area is where the server can be free to joke around or yell at other workers without negative responses from the audience of the front stage (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). The wall between the front stage and back stage is a critical component for successful impression management (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). The wall helps prevent the audience members from being able to discredit the performance of the server in the front stage (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). The wall also allows performers to release any stress that was acquired in the front stage (Sandstrom et al. 2006:). Back stage areas allow performers to relax and compose themselves before it is time for their next performance (Sandstrom et al. 2006:112). Goffman points out that people are so used to preforming a variety of roles daily that they often do not think of themselves as being actors putting on different performances (Sandstrom et al. 2006:113). He states that regardless if people know it or not our behavior is expressive, which is what establishes what role a person is in any given situation (Sandstrom et al. 2006:113).
Symbolic Interactionism: Mead
Mead theorizes that the main mechanism of interaction is the mutual signaling and interpretation of different gestures in a process of putting one's self into another individual's role (Turner 2011:330). Based on each person's assumptions of the others, they make necessary adjustments that will produce cooperation (Turner 2011:330). People observe conventional gestures to determine what roles other individuals are playing (Turner 2011:330). At the same time, they are also forming self-presentations to make a role for the concept of role taking (Turner 2011:330). Also, in role taking and making, people show each other their sense of self (Turner 2011:330). Using concepts from different theorists, Mead states that people are motivated to confirm and evaluate the presentation of themselves to others (Turner 2011:330). He goes on to say that people always alter their performance based at different points during the interaction (Turner 2011:330). Symbolic interactionists suggest that the most important impulse during interactions is the drive to shape how an individual is perceived in the eyes of others (Turner 2011:331). Mead also implies that people reveal emotions and motivations during different phases processes of role taking and making of interactions (Turner 2011:331). These revelations are signals for people to alter their behavior to keep up with the interaction taking place (Turner 2011:331). Another idea of Meads is the conception of interactions as being institutions. Institutions imply that social structures and its properties influences the flow or direction of interactions (Turner 2011:331). He explains individual's role take with communities of attitudes or what he calls generalized others (Turner 2011:331). There are multiple levels of generalized others, meaning that there are different expectations for situations to generalized ideas attached corporate organizations, units and communities (Turner 2011:331). Mead also states that this can be connected to larger structures such as institutional domains or societies in general (Turner 2011:331).
Ideology
Ideology is everyday ideas that fill society. Karl Marx emphasized the importance of everyday, experienced, materialistic social existence that produces one's ideas about what is determined to be normal (Dillon 2013:63). Capitalist societies produce the appearance that wage workers and higher ups work as hard as they do because it is normal (Dillon 2013:63). Every worker earns a different financial wage and majority of workers agree to produce more worker and value that results in the profit that's necessary to support capitalism (Dillon 2013:63). This concept implies that ideas about everything do not just manifest on their own (Dillon 2013:63). The ideas come from lived experience based on themselves or people we know have gone through or seen (Dillon 2013:63). The article gives the example of individuals not applying to college because their social or material experience has deemed that as abnormal because of reasons like affordability (Dillon 2013:63). This means that these people could have an interest in higher education but do not apply because of what their social interactions consider normal or acceptable (Dillon 2013:63). Not all individuals get to experience the same social situations. This is because experiences vary based on locations, gender, race or socioeconomic classes (Dillon 2013:63). Every individual comes from different backgrounds and those surroundings shape the experiences and ideas people form. Marx emphasizes that product consumption encompasses people's existence (Dillon 2013:64). People work to live and usually when asked to define their life they define it by what they possess (Dillon 2013:64). Marx also says that all the things that a person cannot do for themselves, money can do for them. (Dillon 2013:64) Society is so used to shopping and buying products they we do not see consumption as a privilege (Dillon 2013:64). Marx says the power of ideology in everyday situations such as consumptions and the ideas of consumption make up who individuals are and what they do (Dillon 2013:).
Methods
Literature Review: Ethnography
The foundation of ethnographic research is individuals interacting and communicating with other people in a setting. A setting is the specific place the research is being conducted (Karner and Warren 2015:54). This means if an individual is researching a school club the setting would be the classroom the club meets not the school itself. The person conducting research must present themselves in a way that is acceptable for the group, this is referred to as the presentation of self (Karner and Warren 2015:62). When the researchers present themselves in a way like the groups own perception of their image, they will be more willing to let the researchers continue their work (Karner and Warren 2015:62). This also implies that the researcher needs to make sure that their wardrobe, demeanor and props are appropriate for the group they will be interacting with (Karner and Warren 2015:65). All these things need to be taken into consideration before admission to the setting takes place.
Depending on the organization there could be different forms of seeking admission such as, emails, phone calls, or a personal visit (Karner and Warren 2015:67). A gatekeeper is the individual who usually grants or denies the initial access to the group (Karner and Warren 2015:63). Once the researcher has gained access to a setting it is important to identify key informants. Key informants are the people within the organization that will help researchers ease their way into different parts of the group and form connections with other members (Karner and Warren 2015:69). Key informants can emerge throughout different times of the research process. Shadowing another group member is another way for researchers to see how a group communicates and interacts (Karner and Warren 2015:73). Roles, status and relationships also play a role in ethnographic research (Karner and Warren 2015:76). Roles and statuses could have different impacts on the research, when it comes to the point where the research being collected is repetitive and no longer new it is time to leave the field (Karner and Warren 2015:96).
Methods: Ethnography
Over the course of two weeks I observed a local early education center. The organization has facilities throughout the United States and has multiple locations throughout the Central Valley. I chose to observe the facility that was closest to where I lived. I did participant observations of the organizations committees since there would be no children present at these times. I choose to do participant observations because it was group on the smaller side and it would have been uncomfortable for everyone involved if I just observed. During these committees I got to witness how the centers paid employees worked with community volunteers.
I participated in my first observation on October 24th, 2018. This observation took place at the centers main building in my town at 3 o'clock in the afternoon. A committee meeting was taking place to discuss the upcoming harvest festival that the organization was putting on. Although it was a committee meeting, it was open to anyone who wanted to help including parents and community members. The next observation I participated in was October 30th, 2018. During this time the committee and myself put together all the final touches on the harvest festival that we previously planned. This time we met at 3:30 in the afternoon.
During my observations I spent a lot of time focusing and discussing thick description. This included everything I saw in the rooms, buildings, and property. I also focused on describing the individuals who were there and what they were doing and how they interacted with each other. I also related what I saw to different sociological theories. I saw and described different statuses and roles. I also witnessed and related meaningful action and hegemony within members of the group. Using my observation fieldnotes as data I analyzed this material using NVivo, a qualitative research software. I chose this software because it was provided to me by Fresno State. The software allowed me to create different queries and nodes from my observation fieldnotes. I ran two-word frequency queries, so I could see which words were used more frequently throughout my observations. Using NVivo, I also created five nodes which consisted of, thick description, statuses and roles, hegemony, meaningful action, and presentation of self.
All together I felt like the group I was observing was a very good choice and fit for me. I think what the organization stands for and does for people in their community is awesome. I enjoyed attending the committee meetings and learning more about how the group functions and how volunteers are needed to bring it all together. I was able to participate and observe the group because the group accepted me and was willing to let me into their world. Since the members were so accepting to me, I was able to collect good data as a researcher. The data I collected was information that I could use to show a correlation to sociological theories. Having the NVivo software available to me also made the analyzing portion of my research an enjoyable experience.
Literature Review: Interviews
Interviewing is another major qualitative method used to conduct research (Karner and Warren 2015:119). Like most interviews the point of conducting research interviews is to get to a better understanding of things (Karner and Warren 2015:119). Research interviewing is when the interviewer asks the respondent questions relating to the topic of interest to the researcher but also in relevance to the respondent as well (Karner and Warren 2015:119). An in-depth or intensive interview focuses on the meanings that life experiences give the respondents (Karner and Warren 2015:120). This type of interview usually only involves one person conducting the interview and one person being the respondent to the interview. Interviews can take place in person, over the phone or by internet. Most interviews are single events which means an interviewer usually only interviews a respondent one time (Karner and Warren 2015:120).
Interviews are the suggested method for obtaining research if the goal is to find a biography and accounts (Karner and Warren 2015:122). Research interviewers are on a mission to find out how other individuals have felt, thought about, or handled specific issues or problems (Karner and Warren 2015:122). Once a researcher decides on a topic then they can form a set of general research questions that are related to the topic (Karner and Warren 2015:123). From the set of general research questions, the interviewer then comes up with a set of 10 to 15 open ended questions to ask the respondent (Karner and Warren 2015:123). Instead of asking respondents about demographic information during the interview, the interviewer can ask the respondents to fill out a face sheet prior to the interview (Karner and Warren 2015:124). A face sheet is a form that asks about the respondent's demographic information such as, age, gender and their job (Karner and Warren 2015:124). When it comes to planning an interview, the interview should work around the respondent's schedule to make it the most convenient for them and what location they would like the interview to take place (Karner and Warren 2015:137-138). It's also important for researchers to have all the interview necessities prior to the interview such as, directions, forms, recording devices, and supplies (Karner and Warren 2015:140).
Methods: Interviews
Over the course of two days I conducted three different face to face interviews with members of a local early childhood education center. The organization has facilities throughout the United States and has multiple locations throughout the Central Valley. I chose to interview members from the facility that was closest to where I lived. I chose to conduct these interviews in a public place to make it safer and more comfortable for all parties involved. During these interviews I got to ask questions towards paid workers of the program and unpaid volunteers. This gave me a better understanding of how the program relies on workers and volunteers equally in order to make sure the organization functions properly.
I conducted my first face to face interview on November 24, 2018 at 11:00 AM. I conducted the interview at a public park located in the same town where the facility is located. I chose this location because it was the closest location to the respondent and myself. I also chose to conduct it in a safe public place so that both the respondent and I would best be comfortable at. The respondent is a woman who has been an assistant with the program for about 2 years now.
The second face to face interview I conducted was on November 24, 2018 at 2:00 PM. I conducted this interview at a café and we spoke in the patio area since it was quitter and less busy. I chose this location because the respondent lived in a different town and I was unaware of many public places we could go to that was safe for both the respondent and me. The respondent agreed to meet at this location in the afternoon since she was just getting over being sick. This respondent is a teacher for the program and is in her third year of working for the organization. This interview was a little more difficult because the woman was getting over a sickness and her voice was going in and out.
My final face to face interview I conducted was on November 25, 2018 at 12:00 PM. I conducted this interview at the same public park location where I met the first respondent. I chose this location because it was located near me and the respondent. I chose this location because it was a safe and open location for the both of us to be at. The respondent I was meeting was a man who has volunteered off and on with the early childhood education center since he was in high school. This respondent was one of the few males I encountered in my time with the program. This interview was the one I was more excited about since it was from a male perspective and a volunteer perspective.
All together I felt like the individuals I was interviewing were very knowledgeable about the organization and were all very passionate about what they do. I felt the volunteer had more enthusiasm about the organization than the paid worker respondents did. I enjoyed asking questions and relating it to sociological theories. However, I feel like some of the respondents had a hard time answering my questions and I would have to explain it more. Since the members were so accepting to me, I was able to collect good data as a researcher. The data I collected was information that I could use to show a correlation to sociological theories. Having the NVivo software available to me also made the analyzing portion of my research an enjoyable experience.
Literature Review: Content Analysis
Along with ethnographic research and interviews, qualitative researchers also obtain data from media sources (Karner and Warren 2015:169). Some of these sources include, printed words, images, magazines, documents and the internet (Karner and Warren 2015:169). The purpose of using different media as data to study culture and explore the meaning and experience (Karner and Warren 2015:169). According to the authors the term culture is in reference to the material and nonmaterial social artifacts along with the representations that are around us (Karner and Warren 2015:169). The researchers who choose to look at these social artifacts analyze them in the same way other researchers analyze interview transcripts or group observations (Karner and Warren 2015:169). With media sources as data in can make it easier for researchers to compare data from other cultures and locations (Karner and Warren 2015:169). When choosing what documents to use for research the researcher needs to have a systematic approach to the data sources. When there is no thoughtful approach to choosing documents the analysis of the material will suffer because there is no understanding of the context and purpose (Karner and Warren 2015:173). It is important to chose content that illustrates the themes the researcher is looking for.
The use of the internet has become a useful data source for qualitative researchers. The internet provides researchers a vast collection of data that is easy to transcribe and analyze (Karner and Warren 2015:201). However, qualitative researchers need to be aware and acknowledge that the material on the internet needs to be taken with caution and that the material can be hard to track down the origins of it (Karner and Warren 2015:201). If researchers use data collected form material provided by the internet purely for data analyzing and not as a fact there is a vast network of available information (Karner and Warren 2015:201). Social media like, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest encourage interactions by sharing information, pictures and comments (Karner and Warren 2015:204). Social media gives data on organizations groups, followers and public opinion that may not have been available elsewhere.
Methods: Content Analysis
Over the course of one week I conducted research on the early childhood education center through online content. The online content I found came from thirty different sources that talked about the early childhood education center or came directly from the center. Most of the content that I found came from other websites and organization that support what the early childhood education program is about. They discussed what the early childhood education organization stood for and how it also relates to what they believe in as well. The discuss topics that parents can do with their children to help them along with their early childhood education.
The early childhood education also has its own website that they have information up about their mission and what their core beliefs are. They provide information directed towards parents, teachers, administrators, policy makers and the community. They describe their goals and why they believe that their curriculum is important to all children early on in their life. They provide research they have done and what others have done that shows evidence that what they are doing is effective for long term education. They also provide resources directed to teachers and parents, so that they have the tools and techniques to help their children with their educational needs in and outside of the school environment.
All together I felt like the group I chose to observe, interview and research content on was a very good choice and fit for myself. I support what the organization stands for and does for the people within their community. I enjoyed looking up different sources and reading about the organization, their beliefs and what they want to do to better early childhood education for all children. I enjoyed analyzing the organizations different materials on how their program is beneficial at a diverse level throughout different communities. Since there was a vast amount of information out there about my group it made the collection of thirty sources easy to do. Using the data collected I was able to relate it to a variety of sociological theories. I did this with the help of the NVivo software. Using the NVivo software I was able to code my data into different nodes and create word queries. I was also able to produce a word cloud of the most frequently used words of all my research which can be found below. Having this software available to me made the analyzing portion of my research an easier experience.
Analysis
Analysis: Ethnography
Thick Description
My observations consisted a lot of thick description. There was a ton of details all around me during the observation sessions I participated in. As soon as I arrived at the first early childhood education center committee meeting, I noticed how the room was set up,
When I first walked in the room, I noticed that they had a lot of materials out on a large rectangle table with 8 chairs around it. On the table there are pieces of construction paper that remind me of fall time. There are red, orange, yellow, green, and brown construction papers. I also notice that there are craft supplies in a box such as, glue, glitter and scissors.
The room was set up ready to work. As soon as I entered the room my eyes were drawn to all the materials and supplies that were out on the table. Since all the material were craft like materials, I knew right away that we, the volunteers, would be making crafts and decorations for the upcoming harvest festival. The organization members knew what needed to be done at the meeting, so they had set up all the materials prior to the start of it.
Outside of the table of supplies I also took notice to how the rest of the room was set up,
I notice that the room is decorated with things that are designed for children. There is a paper tree on the wall with paper sunflowers on the tree that looks like children drew them. There is a book shelf that Is full of children's books.
The room is clearly set up for children. There are visual things such as the sunflowers, all around the room that can capture a child's attention and imagination. The book shelf full of children's books is a great way to get kids into reading and stories at a young age. It is also a great way for parents and caregivers to bond with their children. Parents have access to age appropriate books for their children. The room also has information and details that are directed to parents,
On another wall I notice what appears to be more important papers and flyers on the wall. The flyers seem to be directed towards parents are caregivers. Some of the papers I can make out list things that adults can do that will help children academically.
This shows that although the centers goal is to help children get a good early childhood education, they also know how important it is for parents to be involved in the process. Teaching and education start at home. Parents and caregivers are children's first teachers. It is a very good thing that the organization knows and encourages parents to be a part of their children's education at such an early age.
During most of my observations I was inside the early childhood education center's building. However, there were times where I took notice to the outside surroundings,
Through the windows I see that there is benches across from the building we are in. I assume she is walking to one of the benches since there is more space to work out there. Yes, she did walk out to the benches and is laying her stuff out
I can only assume that the benches outside are for the parents while their children are inside the building with the education professionals. Or maybe they are for the children to sit at if the organization has outside activities for the children. The benches were a good thing during the meetings because people would take things out there to work on decorations when it was too crowded inside the room.
Status and Roles
During my observations I took notice to all the organization members and volunteers. I could clearly see which individuals were employed by the organization and which individuals were parent or community volunteers. I noted this in my observation fieldnotes,
I see that four of the women work for the organization and the rest of the people are parents of children or volunteer of the communities.
I observed that four of the women in the room were employed by the early education center and they were the ones hosting the committee meeting. Their roles are to organize the meeting and express what the organization needs and wants from their volunteers. Their roles were more important because without them there would be no organization that helped children and their families with early education.
Throughout my observations I could see the differences in roles between the center's employees and the parent/community volunteers,
The people who worked for the organization I could tell acted more instinctively. They just did what was needed to do. Unlike volunteers, they always asked someone else what they should be doing or what others needed help with.
The organization workers roles allowed them to act more freely and independently than the volunteers. The volunteers needed more direction and had to be informed on what needed to be done and how it needed to be done. The volunteers never initiated any actions, they waited for someone to tell them or they asked the official workers on what needed to be done or what they needed assistance on. Out of the centers employees I noticed one of women spent more time giving out orders and directions than the others,
The lady who is clearly in charge started to ask people if they could help doing things individually. She asked one of the ladies if she could color leaves so, they can make a fall backdrop for picture taking.
Her status as a group leader meant that it was her responsibility to make sure that everything was running on track. She also made sure that everyone involved was contributing to the task at hand. She was the one that had the list of tasks that needed to be done and she assigned each individual to a certain task.
Hegemony
During the time of my observations there was one individual that showed more leadership than the other workers and volunteers,
There is one woman walking in and out of the room with several papers and different things. She seems to be the one in charge because she is not really talking to anyone, she is just doing things that she seems to know what needs to be done and does it.
She showed a lot more initiative than any other person at the meetings. I never once saw her ask anyone what she needed to be doing or what tasks still needed to be done. She acted in a way that showed confidence in what she does and the knowledge that comes with it. Other people go to her leadership when they need to know what they can do or if they are seeking her approval. She let everyone know why we were gathered together in the first place,
The lady in charge says that we need to come up with things for kids and families can do at the harvest festival. The goal of this harvest festival is for families that must work late hours or do not have money for costumes or candy to come and enjoy Halloween during the day for free.
She clearly shows leadership in providing all the members with information about the upcoming harvest festival. She lets them know what the organizations goal of festival as well.
The woman in charge also displayed nonverbal leadership as well. There were times I observed her when she wasn't speaking, and she was still able to get people to follow her lead,
The lady in charge walks back into the building we were originally in and everyone followed her. She didn't say anything or usher anyone inside. Everyone just kind of followed her lead.
When she finished a task outside, she walked back into the main building where we started the main meeting at. She gave no verbal instruction on what we should do next in that moment. However, everyone that was outside followed her back inside. That demonstrates that she always has leadership amongst the group even without verbally expressing her leadership.
Meaningful Action
While I was doing my observations, I saw how all the individuals in the committee meetings shared similar versions of meaningful action. I found that a lot of the volunteers were parents of children that used the early childhood education center. I noticed that there was a group of mothers that stayed together throughout the meeting,
There are three women that are talking amongst themselves. I overhear them talking about how one of them just came from a different town to check out a dance studio for her daughter. One of the ladies responds with questions about the dance studio and she seems to be genuinely interested in it.
I observed the group of mothers have a shared meaningful action, because they all had daughters that attended the center, they chose to volunteer for the organization's activities. Even in their conversations they had similar interests about things their daughters could do together. Another couple also had a shared meaningful action,
The one man in the room is talking to another lady and I notice that they are sitting rather close together. I over hear some of their conversation and it seems like they are parents to the same child.
They both took the same meaningful action when they chose to attend the committee meeting. They wanted to make sure their child had a good time at the harvest festival, so they wanted to do everything in their power to make sure it was a success.
The early childhood education center was having a local pumpkin patch donate small pumpkins to all the children that attended a field trip. This was so that at the harvest festival all the children and their families could participate in a pumpkin decorating contest. However, in my observations I found that the local pumpkin patch had a similar meaningful action as the parent volunteers,
One of the workers asks if they will be providing the pumpkins and the group leader explains that the week prior to the harvest festival they will be taking children to the pumpkin patch in town and the pumpkin patch will be gifting each child that goes with a small or medium sized pumpkin. Also, any siblings the children might have can also attend and receive a pumpkin too. The lady said that was really nice for them to donate the pumpkins. Another lady speaks up and says that one of the kids in the program's grandma owns the pumpkin patch.
Since the pumpkin patch owner is one of the organizations regular children's grandmother, they are receiving free pumpkins. The grandma probably wanted to make her grandchild and their friends happy and that is why she decided to give all the children free pumpkins. Overall, all the community and parent volunteers were participating in the harvest festival planning because their children or children they knew were involved in the early childhood education center.
Presentation of Self
At the very beginning of my observations I noticed that all the individuals attending the early childhood education organization committee meeting took some time in their appearance and presentation of self. Although, everyone in attendance was dressed well it wasn't in a professional kind of way,
All the people are dressed nice, not in a professional way but in a way that says they take care of their appearance.
Since the people took time to get ready and care about how they look it illustrates how they want to present themselves to others at the meeting. No one is dressed inappropriately or looks like they just rolled out of bed which strengthens the fact they care about how the present themselves.
I also noticed that the group leader presents herself in a way that gets other individuals to respond in a positive way,
I notice that the leader is still giving directions to other volunteers. From what I can tell I notice that no one is telling her no. They all do what she is asking as if she was giving an order.
The way the leader presents herself allows her to be able to get people to respond positivity and willing to participate in needed tasks. She does not ever raise her voice or demand someone to do anything. No one tells her no to any of the tasks because of the way she positively presents herself. I pointed this out to myself during my observations,
I must say the leader is being very polite and not giving any demands or orders. She simply asks people if they can or want to do something rather than just giving direct orders.
I think the confidence and knowledge she has as the person in charge of the center is displayed by the way she presents herself to other faculty, parents, and community volunteers.
Analysis: Interviews
Front Stage and Back Stage
Throughout my interviews I formulated questions that would ask respondents about how they conducted themselves in their front stage and back stage. I had to formulate these questions in a way that the respondents would understand and comprehend. One of the respondents was really open about her conducting herself in different ways. She stated,
I would say that being a teacher you, no matter where you go you have reputation that you have to maintain you can't act out or do anything bad here. Well because your job is on the line. Yeah, I like to joke around in the classroom with the kids, you know, just as much as I like to go out with my friends, you know, have a good time, you know, they try to manage that and still keep up still keep up by what I say like, my image, you know, so, try to keep up that image that I responsible image and, you know, portray that to other people.
She acknowledges that being a teacher has an important label attached to it and that teachers must present themselves accordingly. She acts professional while she is on the job and when she is out in public because she knows the community holds a certain status towards teachers. However, when she hangs out with her friends, she lets loose and is more relaxed in her demeaner.
Along with the teacher I interviewed another individual I interviewed respondent that they also conduct themselves in different ways while they are at the program than they do in their everyday life.
Yeah, my language is not PG when I am with my friends with the kids, it's definitely PG.
He acknowledges that he speaks in a way that is seen as inappropriate if he was around children or during his time at the program. He intentionally monitors his speech when he is at the program because he knows that it would not be received well in the situation. In his every day life he just speaks freely, he doesn't have to worry about the situation or location he is in. However, he also stated,
I'm very expressive with my body language. And so, I'm the exact same way with the volunteers with the kids with friends. Anyone. Anyone I meet, I'm like that. It's just it comes off that way.
Although he acknowledges that there is a front stage and back stage with his language, he also goes on to say that other aspects of himself are the same in both stages. There is parts of his authentic self being shown in both the front stage and the back stage.
Status and Roles
During my interviews I asked questions to all the respondents about what they do and what they represent at the organization. The three individuals I was interviewing all had different roles and status within the organization. During my first interview the respondent noted,
I work with a group of kid…One thing that we do is the first thing we do is we go into a classroom, we all sit down the we have all the kids and bring out their homework. if they have any questions, and they come up to me and we do a little bit of reading time I answer any questions that they need when they need help with their homework.
Her role in the program was a helper. She helps the children with anything they need in related to education. The children or students saw he role as a helper and knew they could go to her with anything they may need help with. In some situations, the program assistants or helpers could be the only people the children could go to for help.
During my second interview I met another individual who had a different status and role
than the other two respondents. She was very straight to the point when she stated,
I am a preschool teacher. I work with kids under the age of 5.
In the program this is the second highest position an individual could have. Besides the site supervisor, the preschool teacher has the highest authority in their status. The children, parents, and the community know and expect her to be knowledgeable, patient, and willing to teach their children.
In my final interview I encountered another individual who had a clear different role and status within the early childhood education program.
I work with kids. I teach them how to do things. We have playtime, lunchtime. We do all sorts of things…I volunteer. It's all for free.
He is participating in the role of a volunteer. He is someone that helps the teachers and the children when they need it simply because they want to. In his role as a volunteer the teachers and parents can depend on him to be patient and accepting towards the children. The early childhood education center has a clear set of status and roles within the program.
Meaningful Action
While I was conducting my interviews, I got to see how the respondents participated in meaningful action at the early childhood education center. One of the respondents briefly explained,
I'm able to make a difference in my children's lives knowing the fact that they come to me they're able to leave home with a smile on their face and me knowing that they have at least were fed and have had snacks a lot of them come from low income families so there's a lot of food insecurity that plays into that.
When she teaches at the center the children respond happy and with a smile on their face. The children react with a smile which also gives her the satisfaction of knowing that the child is going to go home happy and well.
The male volunteer also had a similar meaningful action to what the female teacher had. He shared,
And it is excited to show you very excited. Just they're just excited. That's just it's, it's a warm. It's a warm feeling. And it's just one of the things that makes them great.
Since the child is so comfortable with him as a volunteer, they freely go up to him with excitement to show him what they have learned and what they have been working on. He reacts to their excitement with satisfaction and receives a warm feeling in return. I also think that since he does react positively and receives a warm feeling from the children the children will continue to react positively with his positive actions. I also believe that will have the opposite effect, if he were to act negatively than the children will also react negatively.
Since the program is focused on early childhood education the respondents do have some contact with parents and caregivers. One of the respondents stated,
I've had a few parents and you know what they're like, thank you for the advice you given me. I've noticed it too. But I just don't know what to do I get frustrated sometimes.
Because she contacts parents when she notices issues or delays with their child, she can provide resources and advice on how they can work with them outside of school. Parents usually react to the advice in positive ways and express their appreciation and thank her. Sometimes parents need help with their child, but they don't know how to help or have the access to the resources to help. When the teacher provides these for the parents, the parents react positively and thankful to the teacher.
Ideology
During my interview conductions I noticed that all three respondents had different roles in the program but they all shared similar beliefs and ideology of their program. All members acknowledge that it is extremely important for children to receive an early childhood education, so they are better prepared for their long-term education. The teacher responded,
I wanted to continue to work with them and give them the possibility to get a better education um you know coming, coming from low income family I wanted to give other kids as well to get the basic education so when they start first grade they won't be so far behind.
She knows that it's important for people coming from a low-income family or neighborhood do not always have the resources that other families must get their child a good early education. So, it's important for programs and teachers that want to teach and believe that all children deserve a good quality early education. The volunteer added,
Like obviously you want the kid you want kids to learn to get an early jumpstart. So that was they're not falling behind and are struggling that way they know what was going on.
As a volunteer he was also aware how important early childhood education is. And he takes time out of his own life to express his belief that early childhood education is an important component for every child.
The teaching assistant I interviewed also expressed that she loved being around children and knew that some children would only get help with their education at the center. She said,
Well, growing up with a lot of brothers and sisters, I always love being around kids. So that encouraged me to apply for the position I work work in. Once I started working in that area, then seeing how many how many kids need someone to be there for them and orient them and how help them with with me with their schoolwork.
Since she shares a similar passion and belief system as other members of the group it is shown in how she feels towards the children needing help. She knows that some children will only receive assistance with their homework or education at the center. I think in this type of program members need to truly believe they are making an impact on the children's education and life. The three respondents expressed that they share those beliefs.
Structure & Agency
There are some structures in place by outside forces that make members of the group follow certain guidelines and rules but there is also some agency for members to act on their own independently. The program assistant mentioned,
pretty much when we first start in the beginning of this semester what we do we get a binder and we do one on one like training with like a higher like a supervisor and we get to pick out lessons from that book.
This demonstrates that there is a structure in place for training and lesson planning. The assistants get to freely choose their plans from a designated book with preapproved lessons plans. So, although they get to choose their daily plans it is structured beforehand. She also went on to say,
I went to the store and I saw certain things that I could use towards that lesson that day or the like the lesson that was coming up then I purchased from my own pocket just to try and see if the kids will enjoy this our project instead of the other one that I had already set up from the program.
Even though the program had structured lesson plans she was still able to freely change it up or add things she thought would make the activities more interesting and engaging to the children.
The teacher I interviewed also had similar structures and agency in her role in the early childhood education program. She explained,
some stuff of the stuff is mandated but most of the time it's I generate my own lesson plan. I collaborate with the other teachers and we make sure that we both we're implementing the same the same stuff in both classes. We're getting the same information we have questions we have any questions you know, talk about it, but other that that it's just about us creating our own lesson plan and making sure that the children you know get that basic education that they need to to move on to kindergarten.
All the teachers have to teach the same material but how they went about teaching the material was up to their choosing. They got to freely choose how to teach the children in their program and are able to adapt their lessons to the child's needs.
Analysis: Content Analysis
Framing
Throughout my research I looked for data that correlated to the sociological theories that I have learned. One of the theory concepts I looked at within the content was frames or framing. Frames are what the early childhood education organization believe are key issues and set them up, so they are easily understood by others.
Early Childhood Education Program is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research.
A frame that the organization has is what they fundamentally stand for. The organization sets out to promote quality early childhood education to all young children. They promote their beliefs in early childhood education by connecting children with different policies based on research the organization has done on the benefits of early education.
The early childhood education program provided clear information on what they provide and how they can provide them.
We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and 50 regional Affiliate chapters, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning. Together, we work to achieve a collective vision: that all young children thrive and learn in a society dedicated to ensuring they reach their full potential.
The organization illustrates how they support all the individuals who provide care, educate and work for young children. Because their organization has a large framework of members, they can work together and be committed to provide a high-quality early education to all young children. The organization provides a clear understanding on their vision that all young children thrive when their environment is dedicated to them reaching their full potential.
The early childhood education center also provides a clear understanding about what they expect from their early childhood educators.
Higher Education Accreditation High-quality early educators serve a vital role in ensuring all young children have equitable access to developmentally appropriate, high-quality early learning. Early Childhood Education Program promotes a shared vision of excellence in the preparation of early childhood professionals through accreditation and other initiatives that are responsive to the needs of individual children and communities.
The organization sets up a framework for the individuals who want to educate young children. They acknowledge that early childhood educators play an important role for children and their developmental process. It is important that all early childhood teachers and staff have a high-quality education themselves and have the proper preparation to be able to understand children's needs on an individual level.
Claims
Another sociological theory concept that stood out while I was analyzing content was claims. Claims are when the early childhood education program makes a persuasive argument to convince others that a specific topic is a social problem and that the problem needs to be addressed in a specific way.
Early Childhood Education Program expresses its mission in terms of three broad goals: Improving professional practice and working conditions in early childhood education. Supporting early childhood programs by working to achieve a high-quality system of early childhood education. Building a high-performing, inclusive organization of groups and individuals who are committed to promoting excellence in early childhood education for all young children.
The organization believes that for all children to receive a high-quality education early on in life then society needs to support these three things. The first is that society needs to improve the practices and the work conditions that early education professionals are in. The second being that we need to support programs that provide early childhood education. We can support them by working to make sure that early childhood education centers achieve a high-quality system. The third was is by creating organizations that are filled with people who are all committed to promoting great early childhood education to all young children.
The organization also makes a claim that for the organization to thrive the general public needs to be aware and acknowledge early childhood educations.
Building public understanding and support for activities and services that promote the healthy development and learning of all young children and their families. Advocating for public policies-and funding-to support a comprehensive system of high-quality early childhood education for all young children and families.
The organization states that if we build up the public understanding and gain their support about activities and services that aid to healthy development and learning to children and their families. The early childhood education center also believes that if society advocated for public policies and funding then we could have a system for a high-quality early childhood education for every child and their families.
The organization also wants higher education institutions to be on the same page with the organization so all their fundamentals are in sync.
Working with higher education institutions to set standards for preparing teachers, Early Childhood Education Center provides guidelines for appropriate teaching strategies, curriculum, and assessments for children in preschool through third grade. Early Childhood Education Center promotes comprehensive training opportunities, high professional standards, and equitable compensation and working conditions so that qualified early childhood educators will stay and grow in the early childhood profession.
In order to solve the problem of early childhood educator turnovers, we need to provide the educators with a variety of things. We need to ensure that first they are educated at the highest standard. Society also needs to make sure that teachers have adequate work conditions and they are compensated at a fair wage. If educators are adequately compensated and enjoy their environment, they will continue to thrive which will also make the children in early education thrive as well.
Typification
Typification is another sociological theory that stood out while I was conducting research on the early childhood education organization. Typification is when an individual relies on general knowledge when constructing ideas about people and the social world. This also means that what we know of other people often comes from general knowledge of the social world rather than personal knowledge or interaction.
At preschool open houses, you may hear directors proudly state that their programs are accredited by Early Childhood Education Program (EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM). Dedicated to improving early childhood education, the association offers a voluntary accreditation process for high-quality programs. But not every preschool has the time or money to become accredited.
When most parents hear that a preschool or any organization is accredited by a higher standard, they assume it is a good organization because our social world has taught us that accreditation is a good thing. However, obtaining accreditation is very time consuming and costs the center a lot of money. Not all centers can afford to get this accreditation, but parents should understand that it does not mean that their preschool is not a high-quality center.
Some content I analyzed showed typification from the organization as well. One of these typification had to do with young children that are bilingual.
Here are a few quick tips to make great beginnings for young dual language learners (DLLs): Find out what languages will be spoken by children in your class and focus your classroom setup on what will most effectively support children who speak those languages. Stock bookshelves with bilingual and monolingual books in each of the languages needed.
Not all early childhood educators no more languages other than English. The organization is relying on general knowledge from our social world to get an idea on how dual language students would better learn in a school environment. Program leaders and teachers rely on the knowledge that our social world has provided about other languages and how young children learn from both languages.
The organization also knows that in our social world there are some families that cannot afford childcare or preschool for their children.
Often, parents are unable to work or attend school due to the lack of affordability and sufficient quality child- care. Early Childhood Education Program can provide this much needed service to the community. Working parents know that their children are offered hands-on, interactive learning in a stimulating environment. This structured, supervised preschool program promotes early learning, self- esteem and socialization. Early Childhood Education Program offers preschool experiences on some school sites, in neighborhoods and communities. Our Early Childhood Education Program program gives young children the foundation they need to develop a lifetime of learning in a fun, caring, educational environment.
The organization knows that in some households the parents struggle to find jobs or continue their education because they lack the funds to afford decent childcare or a preschool program. The organization takes this general knowledge from our social world and provides resources and program for those families that just need a little extra help. Parents also get some peace of mind knowing that their children are being cared for in a safe and educational environment.
Grounds, Warrants, Conclusions
Grounds, Warrants and conclusions are three sociological concepts that usually correlate to each other. Grounds argue that a certain condition exists and offer evidence to support it. Warrants justify the action of doing something about the condition. Conclusions are what should be done and with what actions should be done about a certain situation.
Returning to school after winter break can be stressful as children readapt to the routine and structure of a program. With the tips and strategies here, the children in your classroom will be able to transition back to the daily routine in no time. 1. Prepare children for returning to the classroom A week or two before a break begins, create a class countdown. Each day, review how many days are left before the break. Explain what will happen at the end of the countdown, how many days they'll be away from school, how much you'll miss them, and what fun activities you will all do together when everyone returns. Preparing children in advance reduces their anxiety and helps them easily transition back at the end of the break.
The ground in this is that winter break can be stressful due to the children trying to readapt to the routine of school. The conclusion to this condition is to come up with strategies to help the children transition back into the classroom. The first thing they suggest is to prepare children on what to expect of winter break before it happens.
2. Send home an activity Keep children engaged over winter break and ensure they are excited about returning to school by sending them home with an activity to do. The best types of activities encourage family participation and are open to interpretation.
Another conclusion strategy for helping children readapt to the school environment is to provide them with an exciting activity to do with their families over winter break. This will provide them with more excitement and enthusiasm to return to school and show off what they made over break.
Another topic that I noticed a recurrence in was the subject of dual language learning in early childhood education centers.
Although the population of multilingual children has increased in US schools, teacher education programs and early childhood curriculums spend little time discussing the role that bilingualism plays in language, literacy, cognitive, and social and emotional development (Michael-Luna & Heimer 2012). Many early childhood educators have questions about DLLs' language development and the home language's role in their learning English at school. Yet, teachers often do not consult with the very people who can answer these questions—the families.
Another ground is that there has been an increase in multilingual children in the United States, but the education system has done little to acknowledge or discuss the growing situation. They also go on to explain that the families of multilingual children are the best ones to help answer the early childhood education centers questions on the subject. The conclusion is that teachers, schools, and programs need to be involved with the parents and learn as much as they can from them about their multilingual children.
Ruling Texts
Ruling texts are texts that set the rules of society. The effects on the texts often create ruling practices.
Bringing together diverse points of view, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM sets standards, crafts position statements, and develops guidelines that define excellence for early childhood professionals and programs. EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM has pioneered developmentally appropriate practice (DAP), the framework of which establishes principles and guidelines for best practice in the care and education of children from birth through age 8.
The early childhood education organization sets up the guidelines or ruling texts that define what is considered a high-quality early childhood education. They setup the rules and principles for the practices that are the best option for the care and education of all children from when they are born until age 8.
Early Childhood Education Program offers an effective bridge between the home, integrating the concepts of "Parents as First Teachers" and "Every Child Succeeds" into this curriculum. Early Childhood Education Program focuses on the total development of the Child, which includes the following components: Social, Emotional, Cognitive, Language, Physical and Creative. Children learn by doing, and for kids, play is an important part of that learning.
The organization also acknowledges that a child's parents are their first teachers. This is a ruling text because parents set the rules of their children that is like texts that set the rules of society. The parents have a great effect on their children's learning and education.
A ruling text in American society is that education should primarily be taught in English. There are few schools in the nation that teach all academic material in another language.
Although some educators may feel that because of the diversity of our cities, an English-only approach is the easiest, and possibly the fairest, approach to educating all children who are DLLs (dual language learners), in practice, this approach has been found to reduce successful outcomes for young children.
Research has shown that this ruling text, English-only approach, has reduced successful outcomes for young children. The lack of successful outcomes has started the path to more dual language programs and education. This is an example of how a ruling text and research come together to provide new and better practices to be created in early childhood education centers.
Conclusion
Throughout my time observing and interviewing the local early childhood education center I found all the individuals involved very pleasant and willing to do anything for the children within their community. The organizations employees are very knowledgeable and passionate about making the center an enjoyable experience for children and their families. The volunteers illustrated a very shared meaningful action that focused on the kids enjoying their time at the center. The group leader showed leadership and a positive presentation of herself that made the meetings run smoothly and created a likeable environment. The respondents wanted to make sure that the parents knew skills and had the recourses to help their children learn outside of school as well. The volunteer I interviewed was very passionate and enthusiastic about the program and the children involved. The organization accepted me, and I was able to step into their world for a brief time to see how the organization functions and how those interactions between members correlates to a variety of sociological theories.
Throughout my time researching the content available online about the early childhood education center I found a lot of different organizations that support what the organization stands for. They also show how the organization helps other programs, preschool centers, teachers and parents implement the organizations material into their daily routines. The sources I used were very knowledgeable about the organization and what they were currently advocating for their curriculum. I was able to use the content I analyzed and correlate it to different sociological theories. I was able to see claims from the organization along with different frames. In doing so, I was able to see how everything has a purpose and is related to each other. Altogether, I really enjoyed becoming part of a group that loves children and wants them to have every opportunity to learn available to them.
Bibliography
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