Activity 1.2 | An Ethics of Care: Unpacking the Implications

In this reflective activity, you will engage critically with two thought-provoking readings that invite you to reconsider the concept of care in Early Childhood Education (ECE) not just as a practice but also as a political, ethical, and relational act. 

Explore the nuanced critiques and enduring myths about care in ECE, and reflect on how these ideas impact your understanding, professional practice, and policy contexts.

Readings to Explore First:

1. Drew, J., & MacAlpine, K.-A. (2020). Witnessing the Ruins: Speculative Stories of Caring for the Particular and the Peculiar. Journal of Childhood Studies, 45(2), 27-39.
   https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs452202019737

2. Langford, R., Richardson, B., Albanese, P., Bezanson, K., Prentice, S., & White, J. (2017). Caring about care: Reasserting care as integral to early childhood education and care practice, politics and policies in Canada. Global Studies of Childhood, 7(4), 311–322.
   https://doi.org/10.1177/2043610617747978

After reading both articles, reflect on their many meanings and consequences in ECE. Do you consider care a transformative force in policy, pedagogy, and relational work? Why? Why not? 

On the next page, you’ll find reflective prompts designed to help you think more deeply about the implications of an ethics of care.

References

Drew, J., & MacAlpine, K.-A. (2020). Witnessing the Ruins: Speculative Stories of Caring for the Particular and the Peculiar. Journal of Childhood Studies, 45(2), 27-39. https://doi.org/10.18357/jcs452202019737

Langford, R., Richardson, B., Albanese, P., Bezanson, K., Prentice, S., & White, J. (2017). Caring about care: Reasserting care as integral to early childhood education and care practice, politics and policies in Canada. Global Studies of Childhood, 7(4), 311-322. https://doi.org/10.1177/2043610617747978 (Original work published 2017)