Playing It Straight - Uncovering Gender Discourse in the Early Childhood Classroom (Paperback, New edition)

This thought-provoking study challenges the usefulness of existing parameters for assessing and describing the development of children in early education settings, and shows how notions of developmentally appropriate practices exclude vitally important social and political constructs of gender. By repositioning gender at the centre of our view of children's interactions and emotional, physical, intellectual and social development, Blaise highlights the imbalance of power in the classroom and the continually shifting performances and understanding of young children's awareness of gender and gender roles. Insightful and inspiring for classroom practitioners, this book will also be of interest to anyone concerned with child development, gender studies, feminist and queer studies, and all those fascinated by the socialization of our children.