Browsing by Author "Peltola, Antonina"

Aims. Children’s voices and views have rarely been heard in previous studies about inclusion and exclusion in the preschool context. In addition, very little is known about children’s sense of belonging and how belonging operates in early childhood settings in general. There is a lack of research in this area, especially from children’s perspectives. Therefore, the aim of this master’s thesis is to examine children`s experiences of belonging and exclusion in their preschool peer groups. The study also examines the ways children build belonging into the stories they tell. The study attempts to investigate children’s voices and perspectives through researching children’s narratives. Methods. This qualitative study used a narrative approach to examine children’s perspectives on belonging. Ten preschool-aged children participated in the interviews (five girls and five boys) during the spring of 2018. A thematic analysis was conducted and small stories were used as an analytical tool. Results and conclusions. Small stories of belonging mainly related to children`s core friendship groups in the preschools. These core groups consist of children who usually play together and spend time together. Adults were not included in these stories. Children’s sense of belonging stemmed primarily from their core friendship groups but also from the community of children in general. Children’s experiences of exclusion usually took place during free playtime outside. They did not experience deliberate exclusion by others rather children described experiencing difficult join play outside. The results show that children build belonging mainly through their core friendship croups. Belonging expressed through we-talk and shared experiences and interests. Small stories also included the use of humor to express belonging.