International Perspectives on Participatory Learning: and Poor Countries

Abstract

This chapter presents views about young children’s learning, development, and participation across rich and poor countries.1 The argument put forward in the chapter is that understandings of what young children need and what they can do is deeply rooted in their cultural context. However those understandings are more often implicit rather than explicit. The chapter attempts to explore and expose some of these implicit understandings about childhood in rich countries and contrasts these with interpretations of the context and situations of young children in poor countries. It highlights some of the complexities and contradictions of generalizing about the needs and rights of all young children across rich and poor countries.