Power relations in pre-school children’s play.

The study investigates how children in a Swedish kindergarten organise power and hierarchy in outdoor play without creating conflicts. By analysing the play of four children, the researcher looks at how one child takes on a leadership role, while the others naturally follow. The goal is to understand how children create a social order and exercise authority in a harmonious way.

The findings show that young children, just like older children, can build and maintain asymmetrical relationships during play by working together to construct status positions through language, body language and the use of objects. Some children follow the leader when the leader is clear. This can be a good idea to avoid conflict, but it can also mean that they are sometimes treated badly. From these experiences, children learn how to be leaders themselves, and how some children are set aside while others are the focus of attention.

The study is part of a larger project where 46 children from a Swedish kindergarten were observed in order to understand their inclusion and exclusion strategies in play. In this ethnographic case study, a specific episode is analysed from video footage of four children (between three and five years old) playing in the kindergarten's outdoor area. The focus is on how the children interact to establish a social order in play and how they communicate their perspectives to each other.

Cederborg, A.-C. (2021). "Power relations in pre-school children’s play". Early Child Development and Care, 191(4):612-623.