This article contributes to anthropological and early childhood education research by demonstrating how Norwegian kindergartens operate as key sites for the production and reproduction of cultural norms, classed practices, and ideas of the “competent child.” Drawing on qualitative interviews with parents, kindergarten staff, and directors from nature and regular kindergartens, the study shows how values such as independence, robustness, and closeness to nature are naturalised as universal indicators of a good childhood and good parenthood. The findings highlight how these norms are closely aligned with middle‑class cultural capital and Norwegian majority practices, thereby affording some families greater possibilities for recognition and belonging than others. By foregrounding immigrant parents’ experiences and negotiations, the article reveals how ostensibly inclusive institutions may reproduce social inequalities through implicit expectations rather than explicit exclusion.Impact Statement The study offers insights relevant to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers concerned with equity, inclusion, and cultural diversity in early childhood education. It contributes to ongoing debates on equity, cultural diversity, and social reproduction within the field.
Smørholm et al. (Wed,) studied this question.