Childhoods in the Mirror. Children, Educational Relationships, and Care Practices in Migrant Parents’ and Childcare Professionals’ Representations

Abstract

Grounding on an anthropological research carried out in Ravenna with migrant parents coming from different European and Extra-European countries and childcare professionals, the paper explores ? from a gender perspective ? the imaginaries on childhood emerging from the compared analysis of adults’ representations on parenting, care and educational relationships. Conflicting or alternative interpretations of the child-adult relationship, as well as different views on parenting and care allows disclosing those assumptions and ideologies that make “childhood” a plural, situated, socio-cultural construct.

Keywords: childhoods, education and care relationships, migrant parenting and childrearing, gender.