Report / Mar 5, 2022
Interim Findings
Listening to Mindsets: Cultural Mindsets of Early Childhood in Australia
Interim Findings
Listening to Mindsets: Cultural Mindsets of Early Childhood in Australia
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Summary
The early childhood sector in Australia is at an important moment. With growing recognition of the importance of the early years, there is an opportunity to strengthen policies, systems and supports that enable children and families to thrive. The report Listening to Mindsets: Cultural Mindsets of Early Childhood in Australia shares interim findings from research exploring how people across Australia think about the early years and the ideas that shape public understanding of children, families and development.
These interim findings draw on qualitative research with diverse participants across Australia, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The research examines the cultural mindsets people use to make sense of early childhood issues and how these ways of thinking shape how people interpret evidence, understand responsibility for children’s wellbeing, and respond to policies designed to support families.
Measuring Early Childhood Mindsets in Australia
CONTENT WARNING
Two mindsets described in this report (the Otherism and Pathologising Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Culture mindsets) contain harmful racist and bigoted thinking about certain groups, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Some readers may find descriptions of this type of thinking triggering. For a list of national support services, including culturally safe services, see Appendix B.
The descriptions of these mindsets are included in this report because they are present in public
thinking in Australia. We understand that describing these mindsets is complicated and not without risks. However, it’s important to understand these harmful assumptions so we can develop framing and narrative strategies to counter and overcome them and so we can ensure that these mindsets aren’t being unintentionally triggered by the way we communicate about the early years. By describing these mindsets, we are in no way condoning them; on the contrary, we recognise them as highly toxic and we describe them with the goal of changing these harmful ways of thinking.
The findings highlight both opportunities and challenges for those working to improve outcomes for young children. They reveal areas where public thinking aligns with the goals of the early childhood sector, as well as gaps in understanding that can make it harder to build support for effective policies and systems. The research also identifies similarities and differences in perspectives across communities and demographic groups, providing insight into how early childhood is understood across Australia.
The next stage of the research will build on these insights through a large-scale quantitative survey designed to measure the strength and distribution of these mindsets across the Australian population and examine how they relate to support for different policy solutions. In later phases, FrameWorks will also test framing strategies and develop practical communication tools to support the sector to more effectively engage the public and build broader support for policies and systems that strengthen child and family wellbeing.