The Civilizing Force of Nature and Animals in the Upbringing of Children

This presentation introduces ‘World Care’ as a transformative focal point in educators’ work, creating opportunities for children to connect with the ‘other-than-human world’ in a Danish suburban ECEC setting.
Animals play a key role as representative symbolic resource on ‘nature’ and are central to shaping children’s understanding of themselves, others, and their participation in society (Duhn, 2015; Melson, 2005, 2007). The intersection of the ‘natural’ and ‘cultural’ world is where children develop fundamental attitudes toward the non-human (Taylor & Pacini-Ketchabaw, 2018), positioning ECEC as vital in fostering sustainability (Huggins & Evans, 2018). The ways animals are introduced in everyday life, myth and cultural products for children in Danish ECEC reflect a deep cultural ambiguity towards our own animality and ethics towards the animal as other (Toadvine, 2009).
This presentation explores (1) how ‘animals’ and ‘nature’ are presented in ECEC and (2) how educators use art-based activities, literature, and play to foster caring connections between children and the non-human world. Drawing on, among other things, place-based phenomenology (Casey, 1996, 2017, 2022) caring connectedness is identified as practices where children engage with culturally introduced ‘nature.’
The study presented is part of an action-research project where educators and researchers explore sustainability as an ethics of care (Plumwood, 1993; Tronto, 1994; Winther-Lindqvist, 2021) for early years education.