Discovering the Hidden Work of Commodified Care: The Case of Early Childhood Educators

Frances Press, Michael Bittman, Linda Joan Harrison (), Judith E. Brown, Sandie Wong and Megan Gibson
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Frances Press: School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Mount Gravatt, Brisbane, QLD 4122, Australia
Michael Bittman: School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2350, Australia
Linda Joan Harrison: School of Education, Macquarie University, Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
Judith E. Brown: School of Education, Macquarie University, Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
Sandie Wong: School of Education, Macquarie University, Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
Megan Gibson: School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology, Kelvin Grove, Brisbane, QLD 4059, Australia

Social Sciences, 2024, vol. 13, issue 11, 1-18

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has drawn attention to the care economy, including commodified early childhood education and care (ECEC). While there is some literature about the low paid, invisible, and undervalued skills among the predominantly female workforce in the ECEC sector, there is little research into what these educators do in their working day and how this contributes to quality education and care for young children. This article provides a detailed examination of ten defined domains of ECEC work tasks, derived from data generated by educators’ use of ‘intensive hour’ time-diary methodology. The results reveal that the outstanding characteristics of this occupation are multi-tasking and the rapid switching of tasks as educators manage diverse expectations arising from work with groups of very young children, families, other staff, and meeting legislated responsibilities. Drawing on William J. Baumol’s economic theory, we consider the implications for productivity and cost tensions in ECEC.

Keywords: care work; early childhood education and care (ECEC); labour process; time allocation; productivity; labour supply (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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