Tony Eaude’s book Identity, Culture and Belonging: Educating Young Children for a Changing World was published by Bloomsbury Academic in February 2020. Details of how to order are in the right-hand column. It was published in paperback in August 2021. More details including the Introduction are at this link.
Abstract: Tony Eaude argues that the foundations of a robust but flexible identity are formed in early childhood and that children live within many intersecting and sometimes conflicting cultures. He considers three meanings of culture, associated with (often implicit) values and beliefs; the arts; and spaces for growth. In exploring how young children’s identities, as constructed and constantly changing narratives, are shaped, he discusses controversial, intersecting factors related to power in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, religion, class, physical ability and age.
Eaude explores how young children learn, often tacitly, highlighting reciprocity, example, habituation and children’s agency and voice. He emphasises the importance of a sense of belonging, created through trusting relationships, and inclusive environments, with adults drawing on and extending children’s cultural capital and ‘funds of knowledge.’ Eaude shows how a holistic education requires a breadth of opportunities across and beyond the school curriculum, and highlights how play, the humanities and the arts enable children to explore how it is to be human, and to become more humane, broadening horizons and helping challenge preconceptions and stereotypes. This radical, inclusive and culturally sensitive vision, for an international audience, challenges many current assumptions about identity, culture, childhood and education.
Tony Eaude was one of the co-editors of a themed issue of the journal Education 3-13 on the humanities in the primary school, looking at the situation in the four jurisdictions of the UK and presenting a range of different and challenging perspectives on this theme. This was published in May 2017. A seminar to publicise and discuss the ideas was held on 13th November 2017. Following this, Tony Eaude is co-ordinating a group of people, mostly teacher educators, who have set up a campaign called Humanities 20:20 which aims to raise the profile, and improve the quality of teaching and learning, of the humanities in primary schools. This is based on a four page manifesto available on the Humanities 20:20 website. Those interested are encouraged to sign up to support the manifesto. There is also a Twitter feed Humanities2020. For more details or to offer support please contact tony@edperspectives.org.uk
