Studying Compassion in the Work of ECEC Educators in Finland: A Sociocultural Approach to Practical Wisdom in Early Childhood Education Settings

In recent years, in the wake of a growing number of studies highlighting the beneficial impact of quality early childhood education and care (ECEC), politicians and other stakeholders have implemented changes in ECEC practitioners’ work conditions via new policies and guidelines. One central theme characterizing these various efforts has been a push toward focusing attention on compassion in ECEC. This chapter discusses the notion of practical wisdom as a lens for viewing acts of compassion in a way that is attentive to the complexity and situational richness of everyday life in ECEC settings. Our sociocultural perspective on compassion highlights practical wisdom and compassion as socially shared and culturally mediated processes that are integral to the ongoing lived practice. Reflecting on such moments offers a possible avenue for change in the interactional and cultural practices of ECEC. Furthermore, we advocate that in efforts to promote compassion in ECEC institutions, primacy should not be placed on creating compassionate individual practitioners but, rather, on the cultivation of cultures of compassion. As such, our chapter study has implications for ECEC practitioners, leaders, and policymakers who wish to promote compassion in ECEC.