Leadership and responsibility: A study of early childcare institutions as inclusion arenas for parents with refugee backgrounds

Abstract

In this article-based dissertation, I have investigated how Norwegian early childcare institutions function as inclusion arenas for parents with refugee backgrounds and the leadership's responsibility in this matter. Previous research has illustrated a lack of, among other things, multicultural competence in Norwegian educational institutions and a lack of research on leadership and parent cooperation in culturally diverse early childcare settings. Thus, more knowledge on the interaction between management, staff, and parents, their recognition of parents with refugee backgrounds, the leadership's support of staff in cooperation with parents, and the leadership of multicultural professional development, are imperative. The study addressed in this dissertation provides new knowledge in these areas. I use critical theory to discuss symbolic power issues and constructivism to discuss leadership and learning organizations. Symbolic power is understood as an overarching term for recognition, multiculturalism, and inclusion. It is a concealed form of power that neither the dominant group nor the dominated groups reflect upon or resist. The dominant group defines the understanding of reality, and there is a common consensus connected to this understanding, contributing to reproduce the social order. Leadership is understood as an influence of change or action, aiming to achieve a shared purpose in the institution. A learning organization is, among other things, defined as a well-managed institution that emphasizes hybrid leadership. The learning line leaders facilitate individual and collective learning and reduce structural and personal obstacles that might hinder learning. The staff is continually learning how to learn together. The study, which consists of a pre-study and a main study, is qualitative, with elements of a case study design. The pre-study includes mothers and pedagogical leaders from four institutions, whereas the main study includes parents, staff, pedagogical leaders, and managers from two institutions that participated in the national in-service program, Competence for Diversity. I have used several data collection methods: individual interviews and focus group interviews, participant and non-participant observations, researcher-directed process diaries, and field notes. The aim of the study is investigated through four research questions discussed in four articles. The first article, "Jeg savner barnet mitt." Møter mellom somaliske mødre og barnehagen [“I miss my child.” Encounters between Somali mothers and early childcare institutions] investigated how trust was established and developed between mothers with Somali backgrounds and pedagogical leaders and how the mothers experienced their cooperation with the management and staff. The analyzed results exemplified that the mothers appeared to be in a constant negotiation process where they tried to adapt themselves and their children to the institution's culture. The management and staff seemed to, unconsciously, reproduce the majority's cultural capital. Still, the mothers described the relationship with the management and staff as a trusting relationship. The second article, Early childcare as arenas of inclusion: the contribution of staff to recognising parents with refugee backgrounds as significant stakeholders, investigated how the institutions functioned as inclusion arenas through the management and staff’s recognition of the parents. The analyzed results illustrated that the parents seemed to need sufficient Norwegian language skills and understanding of the institution's social codes to be recognized as significant stakeholders. Moreover, cultural diversity did not appear implemented in the institution's pedagogical practice, even though the parents' backgrounds seemed recognized in everyday life. I question whether the majority's discourse and capital dominated the institutions and whether the institutions functioned more as integration arenas than inclusion arenas. In the third article, 'Learning by talking?' – The role of local line leadership in organisational learning, we discuss the leadership role in professional knowledge development of multicultural competence. Through the analyses, one of the institutions that participated in Competence for Diversity appeared to have implemented more measures that promoted more productive work with the professional development work than the other. We developed the concept of hybrid leadership further to a hybrid named the learning line leader. The leader balances staff and tasks, systems and individuals, and daily operations and development. The fourth and last article, Interkulturell kompetanseutvikling – ein studie om leiing av barnehagepersonalet som lærer å lære om foreldresamarbeid [Intercultural competence development – a study on the leadership of early childcare staff who learn to learn about parent cooperation], investigated the leadership and support of staff to ensure equitable collaboration with parents with refugee backgrounds through the professional development of intercultural competence. A tool to analyze this professional development leadership was developed and used to analyze and discuss the results. A structured organization of the professional development work and distribution of responsibility appeared to affect the collective learning processes. Moreover, a systemic leadership of organizational learning seemed to be necessary to ensure collective knowledge building. Even though inclusive practices were evident in both institutions, both appeared to lack a common objective when working with all parents' inclusion. We question whether some of the expressed practices and perspectives contribute to reproducing inequalities and marginalize parents with refugee backgrounds. The analyzed results of this study contribute to both a national and international discussion on leadership in early childhood education and care and add an essential element to this discussion, namely the significance of studying the institution's work with multiculturalism, inclusion, and recognition of parents, and how the management can work to detect and challenge potentially symbolic power.