Maggie Beneke

My research focuses on re-thinking inclusive, equitable education for children and families from historically marginalized backgrounds. My scholarly work is premised on a view of inclusive education as a social movement in response to the exclusion of children viewed as different (e.g., children with disabilities, children of color) in comparison to an (often) unspoken status quo (e.g., able-bodied, White). Through critical analysis of the local processes and consequences of identity construction (e.g., ability, race, gender), I aim to highlight and support early childhood practitioners’ inclusive practices, as well as identify and transform deficit discourses surrounding young children’s identities and competencies.

Areas of scholarly interest:   Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), early childhood, literacy/-ies, home-school relations, teacher education

Research methodologies:   qualitative, discourse analysis, participatory design research