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Navigating social and gender norms in early childhood
Karina Padilla, Deborah Ann Fry, María Cecilia Dedios Sanguineti ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This ethnographic study examines how social and gender norms shape young children's behaviour and attitudes in a flood-prone Amazonian community in Peru. Researchers worked with children aged 3–5 years to understand how early norms influence violence against children and gender disparities. The study shows that young children actively conform to, resist, and replicate social norms, and recognises them as agents who can help reshape restrictive expectations to create safer, more equitable communities.
Key points
- Young children engage in complex dynamics of conformity with, resistance to, and replication of social norms
- Children are active agents in perpetuating social and gender norms, not just passive recipients
- Social norms in early childhood have potential impact on the occurrence of violence against children
- Interventions that recognise children as subjects and influencers of socialisation can empower them to challenge restrictive norms
- Collaborating with reference groups is important for reshaping gender-related norms
Limitations
The study is based on ethnographic research in one specific flood-prone community in Peru, so findings may not generalise to other contexts. The document does not provide detailed quantitative data on outcomes or impact of any specific interventions tested.
Abstract
This chapter offers an insightful exploration of the interplay between social norms related to early childhood and gender and their potential impact on the occurrence of violence against children and other social and gender disparities. The analysis is based in ethnographic research conducted in a flood-prone area in the Amazonian Peru, involving a group of children aged 3–5 years. The study investigates how social norms shape children’s attitudes and behaviours, as well as how children navigate these norms to identify opportunities for preventing violence. The findings illuminate how young children engage in a complex dynamic of conformity with, resistance to, and replication of social norms concerning how children should behave and exist in society, as well as the associated gender expectations. Furthermore, the study offers additional evidence highlighting the importance of recognizing children as active agents in perpetuating these norms. By acknowledging children in their early years as both subjects and influencers of socialization and by collaborating with reference groups, interventions can empower children to challenge and reshape restrictive social and gender-related norms. This, in turn, contributes to the creation of a safer and more equitable society.