Racism in Norwegian Kindergartens?

Kindergartens, like all social institutions, function as arenas in which hegemonic constructions of “Norwegianness” are articulated and maintained. These constructions contribute to the reproduction of exclusionary national identities and racialized discourses. Although kindergartens often make efforts to incorporate and value diversity within their pedagogical frameworks, my research, based on interviews with 40 kindergarten teachers, reveals that both children and staff are exposed to various manifestations of racism. At kindergarten level, children may experience forms of othering by peers and adults when they do not embody the dominantnorms associated with skin color, cultural background, or religious affiliation. Often they are not even acknowledged to be genuinely Norwegian, raising critical questions about the implicit criteria for national belonging. The data suggest that kindergartens are not insulated from broader societal patterns of racialization, and that racism may be expressed and experienced across multiple relational contexts, including among children, staff, and parents. This chapter seeks to illuminate the diverse forms of racism identified by the participants and to critically engage with their reflections on the complexities of recognizing and addressing racism within early childhood education.