A Social History on the Relationship between Early Childhood Education Practices, Maternal Norms and New Education Thought in Child Welfare Institutins

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13948
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 09030:Childhood and nursery/pre-school education-related
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University of Education
• Principal Investigator: Inai Tomoyoshi 北海道教育大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (30755244)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 子ども福祉施設 / 幼児教育実践 / 母性規範 / アナーキズム / 看護 / フェミニズム / 岡山孤児院 / 公教育

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The educational thought of the male leaders of the child welfare institutions was clarified, paying attention to the relationship between the school system, including early childhood education, the research organization, maternal norms, and the new educational thought. The nursing care at the Okayama Orphanage was provided by professionally trained female staff and older girls, while sewing education and early childhood education were provided by graduates of two private high schools for girls. Maternal norms were present in these areas. The significance of this first study of modern Japanese views of children written in English is that it captures the history of Japanese early childhood education from the perspective of the poor and infant agency and parental gender roles. Anarchism has the potential to deconstruct maternal norms and public education.

Free Research Field

教育史・幼児教育・教育政治学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

子ども福祉施設における近代教育思想において学校・家族・国家の存在が一貫していると同時に、それらの関係は変化していた。岡山孤児院の女性職員は看護や裁縫教育、幼児教育に従事していた。日本の子ども・家族・女性に関する英語圏の研究を蒐集し読解した。その結果、女性が従属的に置かれる教育と福祉の領域をアナーキズムとフェミニズムの視点からつくりかえていく可能性が明らかになり、今日の公教育変革への手がかりを得た。