From "Closing the Gap" to an Ethics of Affirmation. Reconceptualising the Role of Early Childhood Services in Times of Uncertainty.

摘要: In this article, I offer a critical enquiry into the landscape of European and international policy approaches strategies towards young children, their families communities in rapidly changing global context. Early childhood has attracted unprecedented attention among makers bodies last two decades. The apparent consensus about ‘need to increase participation early education care’ been framed mainly by ‘human capital’ discourse that promises high returns on investment intervention, social cohesion through increased educational achievement. While members research practice community have welcomed (or actively contributed to) argument order raise visibility support, questions arise whether policies practices grounded logic are appropriate make difference lives children families, especially those from marginalised backgrounds. Drawing experiences recent projects, article argues aim at ‘closing gap’ between dominant groups society integration assimilation an assumed normality no longer exists. Instead, marginalisation, hyper-diversity, inequality fragmentation become defining feature all societies. Against background, explores possibilities for developing ‘competent systems’ based democratic practices, recognition affirmation.