Journal Articles

Brain science and early years policy: Hopeful ethos or ‘cruel optimism’?

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Ideas that the quality of parental nurturing and attachment in the first years of a child’s life is formative, hard-wiring their brains for success or failure, are reflected in policy reports from across the political spectrum and in targeted services delivering early intervention. In this article we draw on our research into ‘Brain science and early intervention’, using reviews of key policy literature and interviews with influential advocates of early intervention and with early years practitioners, to critically assess the ramifications and implications of these claims. Rather than upholding the ‘hopeful ethos’ proffered by advocates of the progressive nature of brain science and early intervention, we show that brain claims are justifying gendered, raced and social inequalities, positioning poor mothers as architects of their children’s deprivation.

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Detail Information

Series Title

Critical Social Policy

Call Number

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Publisher

Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications., 2015

Collation

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Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

0261-0183

Classification

NONE

Content Type

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Media Type

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Carrier Type

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Edition

Volume 35, Issue 2 May 2015, pages 167-187

Subject(s)

Early intervention
Infant brain
Mothering
Neuroscience

Specific Detail Info

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Statement of Responsibility

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