Parent-practitioner Collaboration in Norwegian Day-care Institutions : Perspectives from parents with and without children "with special needs"

• Main Author: Wilhelmsen, Terese
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Norges teknisk-naturvitenskapelige universitet, Norsk senter for barneforskning 2012
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:no:ntnu:diva-17548

Through qualitative analysis with basis in a theoretical framework constructed by perspectives from sociology of childhood and Foucault’s understanding of discursive power relations, this thesis contributes to in depth knowledge and critical analysis of parental perspectives and experiences with collaboration and communication with Norwegian day-care institutions. Building on concepts introduced in the field of sociology of childhood, childhood is in this thesis understood as a social construction produced and determined through historical and cultural processes. Drawing on a semi-structured focus group interview and seven semi-structured individual interviews with parents this thesis problematizes the relationship between professional and parental communication and their knowledge and understanding of concepts such as normal/abnormal and ‘children with special need’. The aim of these dialogues is to explore parents with and without children categorized as ‘with special needs’ experiences with parentpractitioner collaboration and how parents with children categorized as ‘with special needs’ are able to contribute and participate in the process of early identification and intervention of their children. This master thesis is written in connection with the project Children with (dis)ability. Practices and values in (Norwegian) day-care institutions (“Barn med ‘nedsatt’ funksjonsevne’. Praksiser og verdier i barnehagen”), financed by the Research Council of Norway. The project leader is Professor Randi Dyblie Nilsen at the Norwegian Centre for Child Research (NOSEB).