Author: Lizzie Maughan
Maughan, Lizzie, 2024 Gender expansive practices in early years education: how do children engage when we share a nonbinary framework of gender with them?, Flinders University, College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
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Transgender and nonbinary gender interests are gaining attention as more children reject the
gender assigned to them at birth. The increased self-identification and visibility of transgender and
nonbinary children is a result of more language being available to them and increased social
acceptability. Gender expansive practices, those that encourage inclusivity of gender diversity and
allow children to explore their gender, are recommended by scholars, mental health organisations
and education policy documents. Despite this, there is significant public outcry and moral panic
when gender diversity work is done in early years educational settings. These fears rest on an
argument that children are too young/innocent, cannot understand the complexities of gender
identity, and are too impressionable.
These debates are adult centric, and children’s voices are mostly absent. This is a significant
problem. Arguments are made without sufficient information and understanding of children’s
experiences when engaged with gender diversity work. There is very little empirical evidence which
explores how children respond and engage in ways that counter the panics. The research that does
exist does not include nonbinary gender and relies on limited methods to discuss gender diversity
with young children. This thesis provides empirical evidence of young children’s responses and
engagement when we explore gender diversity with them. It answers the question, what are
children’s responses regarding adult concerns for children learning about gender diversity including
nonbinary gender? This work builds knowledge and justification for teachers and other stakeholders
to confidently implement gender expansive practices.
This thesis is theoretically informed by the new sociology of childhood, queer theory, Indigenous
Scholars, new materialism, and the Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach. A year-long ethnographic
study took place in an early years learning centre with 4- and 5-year-old children exploring gender
concepts including stereotypes, transgender, and nonbinary. Group times and provocations (nondidactic
activities set up for children to explore when they chose) were used employing diverse
resources including music, books, toys, images, clothes, loose parts, drama, and a personal doll. The
data produced was analysed using a tension centred approach.
The overall findings were that children’s engagements countered the adult concerns and panics.
They tell us that they are not too young/innocent: children’s own gender is important to them and
they want other people to know their gender, knowing other people’s gender is important to them,
gender diverse people are in their lives, and they embrace the opportunity to explore their gender
expression and identity. Children also tell us that they can understand gender diversity including
nonbinary gender well enough to share with their families and to recognise the taboo nature of it.
Finally, children tell us they are not too impressionable to learn about gender diversity including
nonbinary gender because they have their own ideas and opinions, choose for themselves what to
attend to, control conversations and take ownership of resources.
This thesis makes original theoretical and methodological contributions to the field of gender
diversity and early years education. Theoretically it is the first research to frame gender as nonbinary
when exploring gender with young children. It also contributes to the framing of very young
children as capable agentic social actors, challenging discourses of childhood innocence. The
methodological contributions include being the first research to use a large variety of mediums for
children to engage with gender diversity, the first to successfully employ friendship as method when
researching with young children, and the first to apply a tension centred analysis outside
organisational management.
I argue that gender expansive practices need to include nonbinary gender, should be used in all early
years learning settings, and employ a variety of resources. All children will benefit. This research
should give greater confidence in doing gender diversity work with young children to all
stakeholders, including policy makers, teacher trainers, educators, and parents.
Keywords: gender, early years education, gender expansion, nonbinary, transgender, creative methods
Subject: Development Studies thesis
Thesis type: Doctor of Philosophy
Completed: 2024
School: College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
Supervisor: Kristin Natalier