5.1 Diversity
Ninderjit Kaur Gill
As teachers, we have the incredible responsibility and honor of teaching and caring for children in our classrooms and building intentional relationships with their families. Early childhood is a time where children are learning their numbers and letters. But it is also a time when children are developing their own personal identities and learning about social identities. These personal and social identities are influenced by the cultural beliefs and the values of their family, their classrooms, and society.
Diversity is defined by the NAEYC as:
A variation among individuals, as well as within and across groups of individuals, in terms of their backgrounds and lived experiences. These experiences are related to social identities, including race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, social and economic status, religion, ability status, and country of origin. (2019, p. 17)
Diversity is the differences among people, and it is a term that refers to all people and not just to some people (Derman-Sparks et al., 2023).
This definition of diversity shifts our focus from merely acknowledging differences to recognizing the significance these differences have had on shaping individuals’ experiences. In this section, we will learn that diversity is not just appreciating and acknowledging differences, it is actively reflecting on our own experiences and identities and how they influence and impact our teaching. This definition specifically highlights the experiences that people have based on differences.
In this chapter, the variations among individuals are referred to as social identities. Social identities are categories that have been socially constructed. For example, a social identity might be a child who identifies with a specific religion or ethnic group . This term, socially constructed, means that these categories were established by societal norms, beliefs, and practices. These socially constructed categories carry significant implications for individuals’ lives, influencing their opportunities, experiences, and interactions within society (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017).
How might opportunities or experiences differ for a child whose social identity includes that she uses a wheelchair? Understanding social construction allows us to recognize that many aspects of our social reality are not fixed or objective but are instead influenced by historical, cultural, and societal factors. Social construction highlights the power dynamics and inequalities inherent in social systems and emphasizes the importance of critically examining and challenging dominant narratives and structures to promote social justice and equity (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017).
Following are definitions of some social identity groups.
- Race is a social-political construct that categorizes and ranks groups of human beings on the basis of skin color and other physical features (NAEYC, 2019).
- Ethnicity refers to “people bound