Culture and belonging in the early years

by Carla Cornelius

Despite living in the UK for the past 27 years, I am made acutely aware that my voice is a puzzle to be solved – a constant reminder that I do not truly belong. I have experienced many times the deflating pause in a conversation when the listener interrupts my train of thought with: “I detect an accent…so, where are you from?”

In that single moment, the focus shifts from what I am saying to how I sound. A tiring pause that adds little to the tentative social exchange, creating a boundary between the listener and me, the “incongruous” speaker. A “microinvalidation” by the unaware listener signalling that I am a perpetual foreigner.

Interestingly, as an educational practitioner working with diverse families I have found myself re-enacting the same invalidating ritual. Driven by “inclusivity” policies I direct an inviting open statement, tinged with a vaguely inclusive aroma “Tell me about your culture”, only to be met with the same tired reaction. Varying degrees of suspicion, a defensive shield “WE speak English at home” or a blank stare. Seeing my reactions mirrored in the families I meet makes me question the idea of culture we are trying to put forward in our educational agenda. Is this an open invitation to mould culture into something tangible? What do we/I expect the answer to be?

Just like me reacting with a brief, deflective answer to get the conversation back on track, diverse families attempt to define themselves as “the norm”. Asking them to narrate their culture highlights their differences, failing to celebrate their precious uniqueness. This makes me realise the need to find a different way to gather information about families’ cultural capital that does not dilute their heritage.

Reflecting back on my experience of culture as a multilingual/multicultural individual, I am flooded with complex feelings. I remember the sudden shock of hearing my mother utter “Carla, you have turned British!” indicating that some part of my being was unrecognisable. So by living between cultures, who have I become? Am I still Sardinian somewhere in my being or have I turned into a quirky patchwork artifact?

Going back to my home country raises deep emotions. I feel a visceral connection to my roots. Stepping off the plane, I immediately recognise the sounds, the Mediterranean smells, the feel of the warm wind on my skin and I feel at home. I can decipher the hidden thoughts of the local people by observing their mannerisms, hearing the familiar voice rituals which convey meaning beyond words, but how can I explain these visceral textures to someone else? I can define this as culture, and my identity is tangled up with it, but cannot be easily encapsulated in an answer to “so, where are you from?” I have not lived in Sardinia for over 32 years, it is part of me, but it does not explain the whole of me!

If culture is not a static concept or a nationalistic label, what is it? It is made of the fluid, lived, experiences of belonging. This is what Homi Bhabha calls the “Third Space.” Like me, families do not live in neat, isolated cultural boxes, made of habits, languages and typical food. Instead, they navigate a hybrid space where practices merge, and adapt daily in response to the surrounding environment. Everyday experiences, domestic and community routines, personal journeys all contribute to the individual puzzles.

The true meaning of inclusion is about honouring the everyday rituals that make individuals feel safe, seen, and connected to their world.

The novelist and essayist Taiye Selasi insightfully states “Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local”. Selasi argues that we belong to the specific, lived realities of our daily lives. She suggests replacing the idea of nationality or origin with three “Rs”:

1. Rituals: the daily, physical practices, like taking off shoes at the door, a morning cup of tea, a specific bedtime song, the welcoming of guests into our home.
2. Relationships: the people that shape our lives. Parents, grandparents, friends, community groups.
3. Restrictions: the structural limits we encounter and overcome, such as discrimination; structural, intellectual and physical limitations; local safety.

I have realised that, just like the families I encounter, I am not just Italian, Sardinian, British, but I am local to the specific home where I currently live, where I spend my free time, my Sardinian garden, my local park, my friend’s kitchen, my faith group. I am an eclectic puzzle made up of the heterogenous experiences I have had and the people I have met, who continue to accompany me in my life journey.

Some ideas to re-start the conversation:

• “What does a typical, cozy Sunday morning look like in your home?”
• “What are the special nicknames, bedtime stories, or songs that comfort your child?”
• “Are there any special celebrations or family gatherings coming up that your child gets excited about?”
• “Are there any special words that we can incorporate into our daily nursery routine for your child?”

References

Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The Location of Culture. Routledge.
Hall, S. (1990). Cultural Identity and Diaspora.
Moll, L. C., Amanti, C., Neff, D., & González, N. (1992). Funds of knowledge for teaching: Using a qualitative approach to connect homes and classrooms. Theory Into Practice, 31(2), 132-141.
Said, E. (1978). Orientalism. London: Routledge & Kegan Paul.
Selasi, T. (2014). Don’t ask where I’m from, ask where I’m a local. TED Global.
Sue, D. W., et al. (2007). Racial microaggressions in everyday life: Implications for clinical practice. American Psychologist, 62(4), 271-286.
Wise, A., & Velayutham, S. (Eds.). (2009). Everyday Multiculturalism. Palgrave Macmillan.

Carla Cornelius is an Early Education Associate who has dedicated over 22 years to promoting inclusion and improving early years education. A former Local Authority Early Years Advisor and SEN Inclusion Lead for the PVI sector, she continues to drive systemic improvement by reviewing SEN services and cooperating in a range of national and international projects focused on inclusion, bilingualism and SEND. Alongside her strategic work, she is committed to workforce development as a trainer, assessor, and mentor, and has contributed to key research focused on enhancing children’s oracy, as well as co-authoring the online early years practitioners’ training Supporting Individual Differences and Needs for the Department for Education.