Under the Watch of the State? Refugee Parents’ Experiences with Surveillance in Norwegian Early Childhood Education Centers

This article investigates refugee parents’ experiences with surveillance by early childhood education and care (ECEC) professionals in Norway on the basis of semi-structured interviews with 15 parents from refugee backgrounds. The findings reveal that these parents feel their parenting abilities are viewed with suspicion by ECEC professionals. This suspicion can lead to increased surveillance, causing parents to fear extensive state intervention in their private family lives. The study shows that parents resort to impression management strategies, including projecting conformity and engaging in open dialogue, to mitigate concerns about their parenting abilities. Their goal is to reduce suspicion and achieve minimal welfare state surveillance and intervention in their family lives.