The expanding conceptions of child citizens in the early years: Perspectives from Chinese kindergarten teachers

Recognising children as active and competent citizens holds promise for early childhood research and pedagogies worldwide. Researchers in China have not previously explored young children’s citizenship in detail. The project that is the focus of this article sought to address this research gap. Moss’ critical approach and Chen’s Asia as Method were employed as the tools for theoretical analysis. This article draws from the first author’s doctoral study and explores data gathered from interviews with kindergarten teachers in selected Chinese kindergartens. The findings reveal the teachers’ expanding conceptions of child citizens and offer insight into the syncretism of Western and Chinese discourses in early childhood care and education. Finally, the value of intercultural reflexivity is considered.