Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Likt och olikt. Strindbergsbildens förvandlingar i gymnasiet

Ullström, Sten-Olof LU (2002)
Abstract
This doctorial thesis deals with the changes in the image of August Strindberg in Swedish Senior High School Education. Strindberg represents the breakthrough of modern literature in Sweden, where the bounds between public and intimate spheres are challenged. The study investigates how and why the image of a writer is qualified or disqualified for inclusion in a national literary discourse of teaching, and why this image varies. Strindberg’s role illustrates how literary meaning is constructed in higher mother tongue education. Learning and literary understanding are viewed as dialogical, communicative processes. The literary classroom is, however, an arena for a process of sociocultural reproduction and socialization, where linguistic... (More)
This doctorial thesis deals with the changes in the image of August Strindberg in Swedish Senior High School Education. Strindberg represents the breakthrough of modern literature in Sweden, where the bounds between public and intimate spheres are challenged. The study investigates how and why the image of a writer is qualified or disqualified for inclusion in a national literary discourse of teaching, and why this image varies. Strindberg’s role illustrates how literary meaning is constructed in higher mother tongue education. Learning and literary understanding are viewed as dialogical, communicative processes. The literary classroom is, however, an arena for a process of sociocultural reproduction and socialization, where linguistic actions also serve non-communicative purposes and various relations of power influence the teaching process. The present study begins around the 1880s. The bulk of the thesis deals with the period beginning around the early 1900s up to the mid-sixties, but it also includes outlooks on teaching today. The research is based on a critical analysis of texts produced for or within literary education. Passages or chapters on Strindberg in frequently used textbooks of literary history are discussed, as well as works of Strindberg represented in school and text selections in various anthologies. Additionally, close to 300 student essays on Strindberg were retrieved from seven or more educational institutions, dated in 1912, 1923, 1943, 1950, and 1960. The approach to Strindberg in school became ambiguous and divided. In the beginning, textbooks and educational institutions tended to ignore his literary authorship. Later on, literary works with themes from national history were given priority, but this canon was mainly studied with a number of important reservations. A qualitative inconsistency in Strindberg’s writings was brought forth as a basis for selection. Many times, this artistic inconsistency was attributed to Strindberg’s psyche. Taken together, the student essays present a picture of how different conceptions of Strindberg have been reproduced and constructed at the senior high school level during half a century. Despite the many stereotypes, the student essays stand out as more or less heterogeneous and reflect, to varying degrees, multiple voices. Even though the teaching of literature often has strongly influenced the reading pre-ferences of the predominant culture, to some students, it has also sometimes had a meaning-making function. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Avhandlingen handlar om hur bilden av August Strindbergs författarskap gestaltats i gymnasiets litteraturundervisning. Strindberg representerar i Sverige det moderna genombrottets litteratur där gränserna mellan offentlighet och intimsfär utmanas Studien vill visa hur och varför en författarbild kvalificerar eller diskvalificerar sig i en nationell undervisningsdiskurs, liksom hur och varför författarbilden växlar. Strindbergs roll i gymnasiet belyser hur litterär betydelse skapats och reproducerats i undervisningen. Lärande och litterär förståelse betraktas med utgångspunkt från Mikhail Bachtin som kommunikativa, dialogiska processer. Samtidigt är det litterära klassrummet en arena för en... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Avhandlingen handlar om hur bilden av August Strindbergs författarskap gestaltats i gymnasiets litteraturundervisning. Strindberg representerar i Sverige det moderna genombrottets litteratur där gränserna mellan offentlighet och intimsfär utmanas Studien vill visa hur och varför en författarbild kvalificerar eller diskvalificerar sig i en nationell undervisningsdiskurs, liksom hur och varför författarbilden växlar. Strindbergs roll i gymnasiet belyser hur litterär betydelse skapats och reproducerats i undervisningen. Lärande och litterär förståelse betraktas med utgångspunkt från Mikhail Bachtin som kommunikativa, dialogiska processer. Samtidigt är det litterära klassrummet en arena för en sociokulturell reproduktions- och socialisationsprocess, där språkliga handlingar i hög grad även fyller icke-kommunikativa syften. Olika maktförhållanden inverkar på undervisningsprocessen och både läsakten och den litterära in-teraktionen betraktas som en spänningsfylld transaktion mellan litterära repertoarer som möts i olika processer. Studien börjar vid 1880-talet men behandlar i huvudsak perioden från 1900-talets början fram till mitten av 1960-talet och avslutas med framåtblickar mot dagens gymnasieskola. Un-dersökningen baseras på en kritisk analys av texter som producerats för undervisningen eller inom denna undervisning. Strindbergsavsnitten i litteraturhistoriska läroböcker diskuteras, liksom texturvalet i olika antologier. Årsredogörelser från olika läroverk visar vilka hela verk av Strindberg som ingick i gymnasiets litterära kanon. Från sju eller i något fall flera läroverk hämtas från åren 1912, 1923, 1943, 1950 och 1960 sammanlagt nära 300 studentuppsatser, som behandlade Strindbergs författarskap. Gymnasiekulturens förhållande till Strindberg beskrivs som splittrat. Särskilt i början tonar man ner hans roll. Ett annat förhållningssätt är inriktat på selektion och gallring. En nationell, historiskt inriktad litterär kanon studeras för sina stora förtjänster men alltid med viktiga för-bihåll. En kvalitativ ojämnhet anförs som grund för selektionen och hör samman med Strind-bergs psyke. Elevuppsatserna visar hur olika föreställningar om författaren Strindberg repro-ducerats och konstruerats i gymnasiet. Litteraturundervisningen har ofta befäst den domine-rande kulturens läsarter, men också haft en frigörande och meningsskapande funktion för ett antal elever. Avslutningsvis förespråkas en kritiskt prövande men öppen hållning inför olika läsarter, där litterära texter tillåts utmana invanda föreställningar och värderingar. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Professor Smith, Jon, Høgskolen i Sør-Trøndelag, Avd f lærerutdanning og tegnspråk, N-7004 Trondheim, Norge
organization
alternative title
Alike and Unlike. Changes in the Image of Strindberg in Swedish Senior High School Education
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
literature criticism, General and comparative literature, Nordiska språk (språk och litteratur), Scandinavian languages and literature, Swedish Senior High School., Student essay, Mother tongue instruction, Educational history, Literature instruction, Reception of literary texts, Literary canon, Literary history, August Strindberg, Mikhail Bakhtin, literary theory, Allmän och jämförande litteratur, litteraturkritik, litteraturteori, Pedagogy and didactics, Pedagogik, didaktik
pages
508 pages
publisher
Brutus Östlings Bokförlag Symposion
defense location
Lärarhögskolan i Malmö, sal E122
defense date
2002-06-08 10:15:00
ISBN
91-7139-547-4
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
id
96143507-79db-4add-8214-eccf8d4e7479 (old id 20727)
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 10:18:11
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:58:01
@phdthesis{96143507-79db-4add-8214-eccf8d4e7479,
  abstract     = {{This doctorial thesis deals with the changes in the image of August Strindberg in Swedish Senior High School Education. Strindberg represents the breakthrough of modern literature in Sweden, where the bounds between public and intimate spheres are challenged. The study investigates how and why the image of a writer is qualified or disqualified for inclusion in a national literary discourse of teaching, and why this image varies. Strindberg’s role illustrates how literary meaning is constructed in higher mother tongue education. Learning and literary understanding are viewed as dialogical, communicative processes. The literary classroom is, however, an arena for a process of sociocultural reproduction and socialization, where linguistic actions also serve non-communicative purposes and various relations of power influence the teaching process. The present study begins around the 1880s. The bulk of the thesis deals with the period beginning around the early 1900s up to the mid-sixties, but it also includes outlooks on teaching today. The research is based on a critical analysis of texts produced for or within literary education. Passages or chapters on Strindberg in frequently used textbooks of literary history are discussed, as well as works of Strindberg represented in school and text selections in various anthologies. Additionally, close to 300 student essays on Strindberg were retrieved from seven or more educational institutions, dated in 1912, 1923, 1943, 1950, and 1960. The approach to Strindberg in school became ambiguous and divided. In the beginning, textbooks and educational institutions tended to ignore his literary authorship. Later on, literary works with themes from national history were given priority, but this canon was mainly studied with a number of important reservations. A qualitative inconsistency in Strindberg’s writings was brought forth as a basis for selection. Many times, this artistic inconsistency was attributed to Strindberg’s psyche. Taken together, the student essays present a picture of how different conceptions of Strindberg have been reproduced and constructed at the senior high school level during half a century. Despite the many stereotypes, the student essays stand out as more or less heterogeneous and reflect, to varying degrees, multiple voices. Even though the teaching of literature often has strongly influenced the reading pre-ferences of the predominant culture, to some students, it has also sometimes had a meaning-making function.}},
  author       = {{Ullström, Sten-Olof}},
  isbn         = {{91-7139-547-4}},
  keywords     = {{literature criticism; General and comparative literature; Nordiska språk (språk och litteratur); Scandinavian languages and literature; Swedish Senior High School.; Student essay; Mother tongue instruction; Educational history; Literature instruction; Reception of literary texts; Literary canon; Literary history; August Strindberg; Mikhail Bakhtin; literary theory; Allmän och jämförande litteratur; litteraturkritik; litteraturteori; Pedagogy and didactics; Pedagogik; didaktik}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Brutus Östlings Bokförlag Symposion}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  title        = {{Likt och olikt. Strindbergsbildens förvandlingar i gymnasiet}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}