Where there is a fairy, there is always a witch: revealed subject positions and scoping of children and teachers in the children literacy curriculum

Abstract

Fairies and witches are present in the universe of literacy. By investigating the curriculum of a 1^st grade class of the Fundamental Education, it was found that witches and fairies are also present in the way a teacher and their students recount themselves and are recounted by the others. This article analyzes the modes of subjectivity set into action in the curriculum when dealing with these magical beings. The production of subjects takes place in the handling and dispute between two devices: the anticipation of literacy and childishness. It is argued that, since fairies and witches are ambiguous characters in the stories in which they appear, the subject positions available to children and the teacher are also multifaceted, producing diverse and conflicting modes of subjectivity.

Keywords:
curriculum; literacy; subject positions; childishness device