Children’s perspectives on democracy in kindergarten

Abstract

This article is based on eight group interviews with 41 5 year-old children, about democracy and democratic participation in kindergarten. The study shows that democracy is a word many of the children associate with deciding together, and that they make a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate decisions. Decisions which are fair and well founded, are legitimate. They say that it is difficult to express disagreement or resistance, and as a consequence some children find some alternative strategies to handle illegitimate decisions. These findings are discussed in light of Axel Honneth’s concepts of recognition and Michel Foucault`s perspectives on resistance.