Exploring transition through collective biographical memory work: Considerations for parents and teachers in early childhood education
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Authors
Rosewarne, S.
White, E.
Wright, L.
Keywords
Transition
Collective biographical memory work CMBW)
Early childhood education
Ecucation
Collective biographical memory work CMBW)
Early childhood education
Ecucation
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Issue Date
2010
Peer-reviewed status
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
This paper describes our exploration of the concept of transition using the methodology of collective biographical memory work (CBMW). Through analysis of a collective group of memories across the life span, we reconceptualise transition as a discursively constructed concept that is experienced as deeply confronting. Using this methodological platform, we argue for a broader view of transition that embraces a multilayered, multifaceted and complex construction which is located in the embodied and subjectified experience of the learner and those around them. As such, transition is re-viewed as a process of uncertainty/certainty, powerlessness/powerfulness and loss/gain characterised by shifting identities rather than as a type of societal initiation ritual or rite of passage. By considering this view in the context of early childhood education discourse, we suggest that emotional/embodied aspects of transition from the perspective of the child warrant further attention. The extent to which transition plays a role in learning lies, therefore, in its constructed worth to the learner rather than to those who dictate the learning agenda.
Citation
Rosewarne, S. J., White, E., & Wright, L. (2010). Exploring transition through collective biographical memory work: Considerations for parents and teachers in early childhood education. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 35(3), 24-32.