The convivial concealment of religion: Navigating religious diversity during meals in early childhood education – A Norwegian case

Abstract

ABSTRACT How are religiously based eating regulations navigated in kindergarten, and how does the pedagogical context influence the children’s understandings of religion and nationality? This article builds on a qualitative case study involving observations and group interviews with children in a Norwegian kindergarten. At mealtimes, some children ate different food than their peers due to religiously based eating regulations. Notably, no children connected these differences to religion. Utilising Paul Gilroy's concept of conviviality, I argue that the staff contribute to a convivial concealment of religion. Their approach avoids reducing children to their religious background, and facilitates connections based on shared experiences and interests. However, it fails to give children a deeper understanding of religious diversity and does not address problematic aspects of some children’s working theories. Thus, convivial concealment may contribute to subtle, but significant, processes of exclusion. The study contributes to discussions of everyday religious diversity in educational settings, coining the term ‘convivial concealment of religion’ and analysing consequences of this pedagogical practice.