A history of the present: A Foucauldian genealogy of early years pedagogy in Ireland

This research presents a genealogical account of how power has shaped early childhood pedagogy in the Republic of Ireland. Using a Foucauldian lens, the research traces the genealogy of pedagogy for young children from the 18th century to the present day. In doing so, it describes the history of the present discourse of early years pedagogy. While the research is framed from an Irish perspective, it contributes to the global discourse on pedagogy by reimagining pedagogy through a local lens. The research design weaves practices of self and interludes throughout the narrative to deconstruct Foucauldian thinking and contest regimes of truth within the early childhood canon of knowledge. The unfolding of various types and sources of power, including sovereign, disciplinary, biopower, and the micro-physics of power leads to the various constructions of the child within particular épistèmes. These images of the child include the Romantic Child; the State Child; the Catholic Child; the Neoliberal Child; the Global Child, and the Policy Child. This research argues that the positioning of children in this way impacts the construction of pedagogy. The interplay of power within societal, economic, cultural, religious, and political movements in Irish society also contributes to the development of early years pedagogy and these movements are delineated throughout the research. The research creates a new genealogy of early years pedagogy specific to the Irish landscape. The findings can be applied to other contexts, however. A significant contribution to knowledge that emanates from this research is that power has produced and continues to produce early years pedagogy. While each épistème differed in terms of the cultural, societal, religious, political, and economic movements in Irish life, this research argues that a framework of pedagogical development emerged in the 18th century and the same pattern continues to produce early years pedagogy today. As such, Karr’s maxim, plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, could be applied to the genealogy of the construction of early years pedagogy from an Irish perspective.