Early childhood and care scholar Judith Duncan speaks Nov. 28

Early childhood and care scholar Judith Duncan will present the lecture “Standardization and Conformity: A Critique of New Zealand’s Early Childhood Neoliberal Politics” as part of the Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture Series on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m. in 917 Campus Center

 

An associate professor of social and cultural studies in education at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, Duncan’s research influences policy for young children and their families in New Zealand and abroad. She draws on postmodern childhood studies and socio-cultural theories to critique current cultural assumptions underlying early childhood education, support for families, and early childhood education pedagogy. Duncan began her academic career after working as a kindergarten teacher, childcare supervisor and after-school program teacher. With a commitment to affecting policy and practice, she bridges her scholarly work with advocacy for children and families, professionals working with children and broader policy change. She combines a background of child advocacy work with children’s rights at the University of Otago with her current position in teacher education at the University of Canterbury.

The presentation is sponsored by the Center for Research on Families Tay Gavin Erickson Lecture Series, the Center for Public Policy and Administration, the Department of Political Science and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. The series is a forum that brings nationally recognized speakers with expertise in research relevant to families to campus and began in 1999 through an endowment established in memory of Tay Gavin Erickson.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

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