Can I play with you? : Exploring peer negotiations during sociodramatic play in kindergarten classrooms

Sammanfattning

This study aims to deepen the understanding of children's behaviours and strategies during play, focusing on negotiation among children and the related power dynamics. First, the children's behaviours and strategies were identified. This identification was achieved through observations conducted in two kindergartens, one in Greece and the other in France, involving two classes of 5- to 6-year-old children. The research examines the verbal and non-verbal strategies children use to assert, negotiate, accept, or resist particular forms of play during interactions. The observation method made it possible to collect data from the children's perspective, thus aligning with the new paradigm of childhood. This study considers children as active social actors with relational skills and their own individuality. Second, the collected data were analyzed in relation to the following question: how do children negotiate roles during pretend play in small peer groups in a kindergarten classroom? To answer this question, two sub-questions guided the data analysis: first, how do children express their opinions during play, and second, how are power dynamics expressed during play? The findings of this study highlight children’s ability to mobilize their material and interactional environment, as well as their social communication skills in order to negotiate during play. The findings also reveal the role of negotiations during play in shaping dynamics of control, inclusion, and exclusion within a group of children.