Respect for Diversity: An International Overview. Working Papers in Early Childhood Development, No. 40

This paper provides an overview on ways of thinking about young children's respect for diversity. It maps sources of knowledge about four different sorts of diversity in young children's lives: cultural and racial diversity, developmental diversity (including "special needs'), gender diversity and socio-economic diversity. It sketches this knowledge base in terms of the extensively researched terrain (what we know with relative certainty), the inadequately explored terrain (promising directions), the theoretical terrain (conceptualising and informing practice), the methodological terrain (developing and validating the knowledge), researchers and research centres in the terrain, and regional nuances in the terrain. The literature review conducted for this paper has identified five broad schools of thought on issues of respect for diversity in the education of young children: the laissez-faire school, the special provisions school, the cultural understandings school, the equal opportunities school and the anti-discrimination school. The paper maps each school of thought in terms of its characteristic perspectives on the best methods for understanding and engaging with diversity in young children's lives. Appended are: (1) Emerging lines of inquiry; and (2) Centres of expertise: a beginning guide. (Contains 18 tables and 102 notes.)