Gender Diversity, Storytelling and Early Years Education

这个研究项目回应了当代对性别不符合儿童的排斥和歧视的关注。尽管持续的学术和活动家话语对单一的性别二元制提出了质疑（De Beauvoir，1949; Butler，1990; Wittig，1992，Halberlane，2018），但英国早期环境中最新的讲故事实践仍然继续执行一个。这可能对那些不符合异性规范、二分法的儿童产生极其有害的影响。LGBTQ+慈善机构PACE（2014），Stonewall（2017）和Mermaids UK（2018）的最新研究表明，跨性别和性别不符合儿童患抑郁症，自我伤害和自杀的风险增加。所有报告都呼吁建立学习环境，以探索和支持儿童从小就具有的不同性别认同。然而，就目前而言，缺乏基于实践的工作，使专业人员能够做到这一点。从批判性性别研究、应用和社会参与戏剧和教育政策中汲取跨学科理论，这个以实践为基础的研究项目将开发一种新的应用讲故事的实践模式，允许探索早期和关键阶段一儿童的不同性别身份（3 - 7岁）。这一新的应用实践将根据英国小学和社区实践研究的结果开发。通过一系列讲故事讲习班、表演和与儿童的合作，该项目将产生一个新的故事库和探索性讲故事做法，使教师、艺术家和儿童能够以更流畅和细致入微的方式探索性别问题。它将确定和拆除目前的异性恋规范系统，防止性别包容性在早年的空间，并将提供艺术家，教育工作者和从业者的方法，以确保他们的做法更好地支持性别不符合个人。该项目旨在为学术话语和艺术实践做出重大贡献。它将为儿童保育专业人员和艺术工作者提供目前没有的基本资源和方法。它还将有助于研究的研究领域（应用讲故事），并提供艺术实践和性别包容性与儿童急需的学术话语。

This research project responds to the contemporary concerns of the exclusion and discrimination of gender non-conforming children.Despite sustained academic and activist discourse contesting a singular gender binary (De Beauvoir, 1949; Butler, 1990; Wittig, 1992, Halberstam, 2018), most current storytelling practices in UK early years settings still continue to enforce one. This can have extremely damaging effects on children who do not conform to heteronormative, dichotomous categories. Recent studies by LGBTQ+ charities PACE (2014), Stonewall (2017) and Mermaids UK (2018) state that trans and gender non-conforming children are at an increased risk of depression, self-harm and suicide. All reports call for learning environments to explore, and support, diverse gender identities with children from an early age. As it currently stands however, there is a lack of practice-based work that enables professionals to do this.Drawing on interdisciplinary theory from critical gender studies, applied and socially engaged theatre and education policy, this practice-based research project will develop a new mode of applied storytelling practice that allows for the exploration of diverse gender identities with early years and key stage one children (3 - 7 years old).This new applied practice will be developed based on findings from practice-based research in both primary schools and community contexts in the UK. Through a series of storytelling workshops, performances and collaborative engagements with children, the project will generate a new repertoire of stories and explorative storytelling practices that will enable teachers, artists and children to explore gender in more fluid and nuanced ways.These practices will be developed alongside a critical and theoretical examination of storytelling and arts work with children. It will identify and dismantle the current heteronormative systems that prevent gender inclusivity in early years spaces and will offer artists, educators and practitioners ways to ensure that their practice better supports gender non-conforming individuals. The project aims to make a significant contribution to both academic discourse and arts practice. It will provide childcare professionals and artistic practitioners with essential resources and approaches that are not currently available. It will also contribute to an under-researched area of study (applied storytelling) and provide much needed academic discourse on arts practice and gender inclusivity with children.