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The Gatekeeping of Social Science Education and the Struggle for Recognition in four Swedish Classrooms

Blennow, Katarina LU orcid (2017) NOFA 6 - Nordic conference on school subjects
Abstract
This paper discusses social science education in four Swedish upper secondary schools as conceptualized – by teachers and students – and as carried out in the classroom. More specifically, it addresses education on migration, public international law and human rights in a classroom where about a third of the students have immigrant background.
Analysing data collected through classroom observations and video-stimulated interviews, the paper aims to discuss how the subject social science (social studies/civics) adapts to the increasing plurality in Swedish classrooms. It places itself in the debate between on the one hand the idea of an open and somewhat unpredictable subject – focused on social issues and dependent on the students’... (More)
This paper discusses social science education in four Swedish upper secondary schools as conceptualized – by teachers and students – and as carried out in the classroom. More specifically, it addresses education on migration, public international law and human rights in a classroom where about a third of the students have immigrant background.
Analysing data collected through classroom observations and video-stimulated interviews, the paper aims to discuss how the subject social science (social studies/civics) adapts to the increasing plurality in Swedish classrooms. It places itself in the debate between on the one hand the idea of an open and somewhat unpredictable subject – focused on social issues and dependent on the students’ participation and influence on the content, and on the other hand the idea of a content-focused subject keeping close to its related academic disciplines.

How do teachers’ and students’ understanding of the subject social science relate to the way the subject education is carried out? How and by whom is the gatekeeping of the subject performed in the classroom? And, with special attention towards the increasing plurality in Swedish classrooms, in what way is the struggle for recognition part of the struggle about, or gatekeeping of, the subject social science in the researched education?
A preliminary conclusion in the paper is that the struggle for recognition tends to fall outside of the limits of the subject in the researched education.
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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
conference name
NOFA 6 - Nordic conference on school subjects
conference location
Odense, Denmark
conference dates
2017-05-29 - 2017-05-31
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d49d5295-26de-42db-9105-043ee42496d3
date added to LUP
2017-12-22 16:38:52
date last changed
2021-03-22 21:01:22
@misc{d49d5295-26de-42db-9105-043ee42496d3,
  abstract     = {{This paper discusses social science education in four Swedish upper secondary schools as conceptualized – by teachers and students – and as carried out in the classroom. More specifically, it addresses education on migration, public international law and human rights in a classroom where about a third of the students have immigrant background. <br/>Analysing data collected through classroom observations and video-stimulated interviews, the paper aims to discuss how the subject social science (social studies/civics) adapts to the increasing plurality in Swedish classrooms. It places itself in the debate between on the one hand the idea of an open and somewhat unpredictable subject – focused on social issues and dependent on the students’ participation and influence on the content, and on the other hand the idea of a content-focused subject keeping close to its related academic disciplines.<br/><br/>How do teachers’ and students’ understanding of the subject social science relate to the way the subject education is carried out? How and by whom is the gatekeeping of the subject performed in the classroom? And, with special attention towards the increasing plurality in Swedish classrooms, in what way is the struggle for recognition part of the struggle about, or gatekeeping of, the subject social science in the researched education? <br/>A preliminary conclusion in the paper is that the struggle for recognition tends to fall outside of the limits of the subject in the researched education.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Blennow, Katarina}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  title        = {{The Gatekeeping of Social Science Education and the Struggle for Recognition in four Swedish Classrooms}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}