Becoming-with sand: Taking matter seriously in childhood research

Abstract

This article challenges anthropocentric views of childhood by adopting a posthumanist, new materialist perspective, positioning sand as an active agent in children’s world-making. Conducted through speculative, post-qualitative methodologies on a Scottish beach with two young children, this study disrupts traditional developmentalist and nature-based learning narratives, advocating for a more-than-human understanding of childhood. Sand is taken seriously as an agentic force, highlighting the complex relational entanglements between children and their material environments. By tracing the broader implications of sand—from global environmental impacts and colonial histories to its role in modern technologies—this research argues for a more inclusive and responsive approach to childhood education, one that moves away from human-centric discourse and acknowledges the tentacular interconnections between humans, nonhumans, and the environment. This study contributes to broader posthumanist field of inquiry, advocating for an imperative, ethical shift in how we engage with both children and the more-than-human world to ultimately imagine more equitable and sustainable futures.