Narrating Anger: Conceptualisations and Representations of Children's Anger in Programmes for Social and Emotional Learning

Abstract

This article offers a critical investigation into the conceptualisation and the representations of anger in manual-based programmes for social and emotional training used in a Swedish preschool group and in a preschool class. The study is based on participant observation and analysis of programme materials (teachers' manuals, materials for exercises, children's workbooks) used in these settings. Anger is hyper-cognised in the programmes, highlighted as a destructive emotion which needs to be under control. It is argued here that the examples of anger presented in the programmes, and the narratives of anger which are positively sanctioned by teachers in exercises, appear as adult representations of children's anger rather than reflecting children's own experiences of being angry. The anger (situations) proposed in the programmes thus become models for real-life experiences, rather than models of real-life experiences. The situations proposed by the programme constructors and the teachers become general representations into which the children are expected to organise their personal experiences. The aim of the exercises dealing with anger is not about understanding why anger occurs in some situations, but to identify situations where children need to be in control. Real life experiences of anger do not match the provided conceptualisations and representations of anger and actually undermine the aim of the exercises, which is to shape self-regulating institutional persons who do not challenge the prevailing social order.