Karina Davis is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne’s Centre for Equity and Innovation in Early Childhood in the Melbourne Graduate School of Education and leads the CEIEC research theme of Identities, Equity and Pedagogies for Social Change. She is also a Lecturer in Early Childhood Studies and has the role of Professional Partnerships Co-ordinator in the new Master of Teaching: Early Childhood.

Karina's research examines how postcolonial and white identity theories can be used with early years educators to explore how these educators can examine, critique and rethink their work in regards to cultural diversity. In her work in the CEIEC, Karina has been actively involved in leading and working with both young children and adults in projects focused on a range of topics including identity, curriculum and policy.

2004 Ph.D.
Thesis title: Reconceptualising teaching and learning about Indigenous Australians in the early childhood curriculum.

Davis, K. (Under consideration). Relationships, ‘race’ and education: An Australian context.

MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). (Forthcoming 2009). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Atkinson, S., Cruz, M., Davis, K., Srinivasan, P. & Mac Naughton, G. (Forthcoming 2009). Working within, beyond and through the divides: hopes and possibilities for de-‘racing’ early childhood. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Mac Naughton, G. & Davis, K. (Forthcoming 2009) Thinking differently: the call and the desire. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Mac Naughton, G. & Davis, K. (Forthcoming 2009) Exploring ‘race-identities’ with young children: making politics visible. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Mac Naughton, G. & Davis, K. (Forthcoming 2009) Intersecting identities: fantasy, popular culture and feminised race-gender. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Davis, K. & Mac Naughton, G. (Forthcoming 2009) Masculinities, mateship and young boys. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Davis, K. & Mac Naughton, G. (Forthcoming 2009) The dynamics of whiteness: children locating within/without. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

Davis, K. (Forthcoming 2009) Seeing the invisible: a challenge for white early childhood educators. In MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (Eds). Race and early childhood education: An international approach to identity, politics, and pedagogy.. Palgrave MacMillan.

MacNaughton, G., Smith, K & Davis, K. (In press). Working and reworking children’s performance of ‘Whiteness’ in early childhood education. In M. O’Loughlin & R. Johnson (Eds). Working the space in between: Pedagogical possibilities in rethinking children’s subjectivity. SUNY Press.

Davis, K., Gunn, A., Purdue, K. & Smith, K (2007). Forging ahead: Moving towards inclusive and anti-discriminatory education within Australian and New Zealand early childhood contexts. In L. Keesing-Styles & H. Hedges (Eds.) Critical Issues in Early Childhood Education in Australia and New Zealand, Pademelon Press, Sydney.

MacNaughton, G.M., Smith, K. & Davis, K. (2007). Researching with children: The challenges and possibilities for building ‘child friendly’ research. In J. A. Hatch (Ed). Early Childhood Qualitative Research. Routledge, New York.

Davis, K with MacNaughton, G.M. (2005) Seeking the ‘Otherwise’. Re-meeting relations of ‘race’ in early childhood classroom histories. In G.M. MacNaughton (Ed) Doing Foucault in early childhood studies. Applying poststructural ideas. Routledge: Oxford.

MacNaughton, G., Davis, K. & Smith, K. (Submitted). Hyper whiteness and femininity. Gender and Education.

Davis, K., Smith, K. & MacNaughton, G.M. (In preparation). Masculinity, mateship and young boys. Race and Education.

Smith, K., MacNaughton, G.M. & Davis, K. (In preparation). A rhizoanalysis of preschool children’s constructions of cultural and ‘racial’ diversity. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood.

Davis, K. (2005). Troubling practice: Exploring white dichotomies in early childhood practices. International Journal of Equity an