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Values clarification

The first step that educators of young children must take in this area of their professional

development is to analyse their own attitudes, ideas and beliefs. As much as we claim to

abhor discrimination and may actively defend unfair treatment of ourselves and someoneelse, can we really say that we do not have fixed ideas about particular groups in our society?

Australia is a diverse societyour diversity ranges across race, gender, class, sexuality,

appearance, abilities, and family composition. If we want our society to be free of bias and

able to view difference as good, rather than something used to discriminate against one

another, then we must be proactive. We must value both differences and similarities, and

present children and their families with positive images of diversity.

The National Quality Standard and The Early Years Learning Framework supports that staffshould treat children equitably, that their communication should convey respect and promote

equity, and that staff should respect diversity in social and cultural backgrounds and abilities

of all children. Encouraging children and staff to embrace culture and challenge stereotypes,

is an important part of the process that encourages acceptance and values differences. Staff

need to work together to develop strategies that assist children to overcome barriers of race,

ethnicity and gender bias.

Displaying of documentation and projects children have worked on, and art work with a

message stating what the child is communicating through their work, is one of promotingchildrens abilities. Information about childrens development shared on local TV, through

newspaper articles or radio interviews is part of advocacy for childrens abilities.

However, our professional goals must encompass much more than this. In Visions of

Childhood Alison Elliot (2000) speaks of what children bring to the future; that they are an

important guide to early childhood educators and have a role to play in creating a world in the

future. It is important to present children and their families with positive images of diversity,

and the environment is probably the easiest place to start. We need to talk about differences

and value each others individual thoughts and opinions.

Childrens services educators are recognising and expanding their programming in an effort

to address the needs of all children in their care. To ascertain these needs, there needs to be

an open two-way channel of communication between all stakeholders.

At an early age children determine subtle and not so subtle expectations held by their families

and society about behaviours associated with their gender and in most cases strive, sometimes

at an emotional cost, to live up to them. When speaking about the program it is important to

use language which resists stereotyping. For example, by describing behaviours in non-

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judgmental ways, ensures you offer equal opportunities and access for all children and their

families.

Research

Observe the advertising and content on television, and in the newspapers, magazines and

internet and makes notes about any stereotyping that you observe e.g. advertisements which

are in pinks for girls making them appear light and frivolous and dark heavy colours for boys

with more serious aggressive connotation.

1. What were the messages that children were given from the content you viewed?2. What concepts were children learning from the content you saw?3. If there was stereotyping portrayed, how would this influence childrens behaviours?

Many childrens books may be guilty of what is now considered distasteful stereotyping

Noddy and Little Black Sambo have been criticized for many years. Some literature

actually sets out to combat stereotyping such as The Paperbag Princess by Babette Cole.

The heroine in this story fights the dragon and rescues (then rejects) the handsome prince

who is more interested in what she looks like, rather than who she really is.

The media is a powerful tool in shaping the culture of a society and in portraying stereotypes

in a way that people believe are, in fact, reality. Children and young people today, more than

ever before, have limitless access to a wide range of media, encompassing a broad spectrum

of stereotyping. Their lives are filled with radio, television, magazines, newspaper, books,

billboards, advertising, movies, music, computer games, internet and more.