Exploring Young Children's Social Identities: Performing Social Class, Gender and Ethnicity in Primary School

PhD Thesis, Funded by a Principal's Career Development Scholarship from the University of Edinburgh

This research explored the role of social class, gender and ethnicity in 5-7 year-old children’s relationships in a Scottish primary school context. It investigates children’s intersecting social identities in relation to feelings of belonging and being different. The study provides insights into the children's lived experiences in the primary school, highlighting their constant emotional efforts of negotiating a number of different social backgrounds. These insights are relevant to the challenges which professionals working with children and young people as well as policymakers face with regards to fostering inclusive practices, and being attentive to and considerate of children's emotional landscapes in times of political austerity and rising anti-immigration sentiments.