An exploratory study of children’s peer touch in a Swedish preschool: touch forms, bodily arrangements, and social constellations

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study explores children’s peer touch in a Swedish preschool using video observations. Two main aspects of children’s touch in focus: (1) to what extent do children use touch within the peer group and with whom and (2) in what ways do children touch each other (i.e. what touch forms are used and what areas of other children’s bodies are touched). Data consists of 10 hours of video recordings, featuring 35 children aged 1–5 years. The results suggest that touch is available for children in a range of social arrangements: it was common in children’s peer-group interactions, and it was not limited to specific child constellations. The most prominent categories were affectionate touches (embraces, holding hands, or pats), but the children also used touch to control their peers’ conduct (grabbing, pulling, and pushing) as well as adult-like embodied directives (shepherding moves). The social and material context of a preschool may contribute to practices where touch is part of ordinary interactions and cultural practices within the peer group. The study demonstrates some differences between educator-child, and children’s peer touch thereby highlighting the importance for educators to consider children’s specific touch cultures when attending to, supporting, and shaping children’s peer – relations.