ABSTRACT
This case study will focus on the capacity of infant massage to support parents, carers and practitioners to recognise young babies’ ‘voices’ as multimodal; that their self-expression occurs through a range of sophisticated and nuanced physical, gestural and vocal means. It will also explore how video can be used ethically and sensitively with families to enhance understanding of early experiences from the perspective of the child. Infant massage (also known as baby massage) is an element of early childcare in many countries of the world (Field, 1994). It is an interaction between young children and their parents or carers, where the adult (with the infant’s assent) massages different parts of the child’s body. In my doctoral research project, baby massage programmes were observed in children’s centres, and led by trained infant massage practitioners. Across a period of four to seven weeks, infant-carer pairs were supported to gradually develop a full-body massage routine. This included the chest, stomach, legs, arms, back and face, with specific strokes and songs relating to each body part. Infant massage programmes were usually offered by centres to support early baby-carer interaction and attachment relationships, as well as infant development, health and regulation.
In this case study, I will show how the practice of infant massage encourages us to recognise the child’s voice from the very earliest days of life, and that infant participation occurs in a wide range of ways including ‘non-verbal’ (Doherty-Sneddon, 2003), behavioural and physical modes. Moreover, it is my view that adult attentiveness to and deep respect for this multimodal form of communication encourages the child’s voice to ‘flourish’ (see ‘Voice’ Poster), which can be key to quality safeguarding practice. Infant massage prompts us to consider the important notion of power. As a child-led practice, supporting responsive and respectful relationships, it seems deeply connected to the 1989 United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Finally, I will position video as a useful tool to reflect on what voice might look like and move our definition of voice beyond verbal utterances.
