The  pieces of research we are presenting today consider the language and construction of children who have historically experienced marginalisation, and how this can have an impact on their lived experiences. They all deal with the construction of the ‘other’ be it regarding ethnicity,  or disability and the implications this can have on lives and future aspirations of young people and the attitudes of those supporting them.   

 The language used to define immigrant communities, including by politicians and the mainstream media serves to stigmatise, isolate and exclude such communities from access to services and from participation in public life. Cooper, Blumell and Bunce (2021) in their review of media depictions of migrating populations across Europe acknowledge that political rhetoric and media hyperbole has contributed to constructions of migrant communities as threats to economic or political security. 

 In parallel, the language and construction of disability and ‘Special Educational Needs’ can create divides in communities, constructing groups outside of an imagined norm. Disabled children have historically experienced marginalisation because of their dual identity as both disabled and children (Byrne, 2012) in a society that sees childhood as the absence of adulthood (Tisdall, 2012). This causes issues in terms of participation and inclusion; in the construction of the idea of disabled children, they are ascribed attributes and characteristics that may not reflect their own, and they are marginalised as a result. This is exacerbated where there are differences in communication method between the powerful and disempowered, with additional steps needed to ensure children who communicate non-verbally are included either with interpreters or via assistive technology to ensure their right to participate is upheld (Lundy, 2007). 

 Our papers explore the possibilities of disrupting the language of ‘the other’ through foregrounding the voices of migrant or disabled young people, using a local language or exploring the ways in which future teachers construct ideas of otherness.  

Boyden, J. and Mann. (2005) ‘Children's Risk, Resilience, and Coping in Extreme Situations’, in Ungar A Handbook for Working with Children and Youth: Pathways to Resilience Across Cultures and Contexts. London: Sage Publications, pp. 3-44 Clarke, A. (2005) ‘Ways of seeing: using the Mosaic approach to listen to young children’s perspectives’ in Clarke, A., Kjorholt, A.T., and Moss, P. Beyond Listening: Children’s Perspectives on Early Childhood Services, pp. 29-51. Dockett, S., Einarsdottir, J., & Perry, B. (2009). ‘Researching with children: Ethical issues’. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 7 (3), pp. 283-298.