보육교사의 아동권리 실천의 딜레마 - 규율 권력, 통치성, 그리고 돌봄 윤리의 교차 탐색

The Dilemma in Early childhood Teachers’ Practice of Children’s Rights : An Exploratory Study on the Intersection of Disciplinary Power, Governmentality, and the Ethics of Care

Objective: This study explores how teachers practice children’s rights in the everyday context of a child care center. While previous studies have focused on teachers’ perceptions or attitudes, this research examines how children’s rights are enacted in daily practices and how institutional norms shape teachers’ actions. Methods: A qualitative research design was employed. Data were collected from a single child care center using participant observation, in-epth interviews, field notes, and video data, and analyzed through qualitative content analysis, resulting in four core themes. Results: Four key findings emerged. First, teachers experienced tension between em-pathy for children and institutional obligations, internalizing responsibility through disciplinary power. Second, teachers remained constantly alert to protect children’s autonomy, paradoxi-cally intensifying surveillance and emotional tension. Third, teachers’ attention was selectively allocated based on perceived risk, leading to unequal recognition and care among children. Fourth, care practices were shaped by demands for visibility, often prioritizing documentation over relational engagement. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that practicing children’s rights is not solely a matter of individual teachers’ beliefs or competencies but is produced within structural contexts where safety discourses, institutional surveillance, and ethical care intersect. These findings suggest that realizing children’s rights requires shared social and institutional responsibility beyond individual teachers.