Date of Submission
Spring 2022
Academic Program
Psychology
Project Advisor 1
Frank Scalzo
Abstract/Artist's Statement
Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) in Denmark adheres to the tradition of social pedagogy, a child-centered practice that emphasizes holistic development. While social pedagogy produces many developmental benefits that support the formation of positive self concepts and transitions to classroom environments, Denmark is overwhelmingly homogenous and the dominant culture demands assimilation to Danish traditions and values. This, compounded with longstanding stereotypes and negative representations of Muslims in particular, has the potential to undermine the development of positive self-concepts in minority children, who face perceptions of incompetence and do not see their backgrounds as valued resources. Theoretically, social pedagogy would be highly effective in promoting inclusivity in a multicultural society because the philosophy emphasizes egalitarianism, democracy, and self-expression. However, cultural attitudes in Denmark undermine this potential outcome. Research surrounding the topic of inclusion in Danish education is scarce, particularly in the field of Early Childhood. Early Childhood is a period of critical development that influences the trajectory of later achievement and well-being. I propose such research is necessary to catalyze change, and justify this approach by its relevance to important influencers of policy.
Open Access Agreement
Open Access
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Jensby, Eva C., "The Monocultural Agenda: How Denmark's Culture of Assimilation Undermines the Benefits of Child-Centered Practice for Minority Children" (2022). Senior Projects Spring 2022. 177.
https://digitalcommons.bard.edu/senproj_s2022/177
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