Difference and closeness: Young children’s peer interactions and peer relations in school

Abstract

This article examines expressions of difference and sameness and peer relations among children (aged 5–7) in school. The article concludes that children do not generally relate sameness or difference to their peer relations or to ethnicity or gender. Furthermore, the article demonstrates that the school setting plays a crucial role for children’s peer interactions: The purpose of school activities directs children’s expressions of difference and sameness, and the structures for peer interaction enable some relations and restrict others.