- Education Policy, Adult and Continuing Education, Adult Education, Assessment, Politics Of Education, Education, and 19 moreQualitative Research (Education), Adult Education, Professional Development, Vocational Education, Workplace Learning, Educational Philosophy, Educational Theory, Lifelong Learning, Foucault and education, Recognition of Prior Learning, Governmentality, Social Movements, Michel Foucault, Citizenship, Neoliberalism, Democracy and Citizenship Education, Citizenship And Governance, Popular Education, Kvalitativ Forskning, and Philosophyedit
- I'm professor and chair of adult education research at Linköping University in Sweden. My research is currently conce... moreI'm professor and chair of adult education research at Linköping University in Sweden. My research is currently concerned with: 1. Migration, learning and social inclusion 2. Citizen formation within and beyond adult and popular education 3. The formation of the adult education research field 4. Marketization of adult education and its consequences
I'm one of the founding editors of the European Journal for Research on the Education and Learning of Adults (www.rela.ep.liu.se) and I'm part of editorial boards for several key journals in the adult education and the wider education research field.edit
In times of market reforms and international migration, the Swedish welfare model has been seriously challenged. In the context of the arrival of refugees in 2015-2017, the state turned to civil society in facing up to the challenges. In... more
In times of market reforms and international migration, the Swedish welfare model has been seriously challenged. In the context of the arrival of refugees in 2015-2017, the state turned to civil society in facing up to the challenges. In this article, we direct our attention to the Workers' Educational Association's (ABF) state-funded work with refugees, with a specific focus on the activities conducted, the resources making them possible and the use-value of the resources mobilised. The article is based on observations and interviews with study circle leaders, managers and asylum seekers. The analysis illustrates that ABF, in line with its historical legacy, the broader workers' movement, the strong notion of popular education as 'free and voluntary', has, with its well-established connections throughout the country, not solely taken on the task defined by the state. In solidarity, ABF has also responded to the needs of the refugees. As highlighted in the analysis, ABF has mobilized a wide range of resources, not least providing refugees with social networks and help in contacting the authorities. With such mobilization, opportunities were provided for the inclusion of refugees in Sweden.
Research Interests:
In times of market reforms and international migration, the Swedish welfare model has been seriously challenged. In the context of the arrival of refugees in 2015-2017, the state turned to civil society in facing up to the challenges. In... more
In times of market reforms and international migration, the Swedish welfare model has been seriously challenged. In the context of the arrival of refugees in 2015-2017, the state turned to civil society in facing up to the challenges. In this article, we direct our attention to the Workers' Educational Association's (ABF) state-funded work with refugees, with a specific focus on the activities conducted, the resources making them possible and the use-value of the resources mobilised. The article is based on observations and interviews with study circle leaders, managers and asylum seekers. The analysis illustrates that ABF, in line with its historical legacy, the broader workers' movement, the strong notion of popular education as 'free and voluntary', has, with its well-established connections throughout the country, not solely taken on the task defined by the state. In solidarity, ABF has also responded to the needs of the refugees. As highlighted in the analysis, ABF has mobilized a wide range of resources, not least providing refugees with social networks and help in contacting the authorities. With such mobilization, opportunities were provided for the inclusion of refugees in Sweden.
Research Interests:
The first issue of RELA was published in 2010, so with this issue we enter the 10-year anniversary. In this editorial, we will firstly elaborate on what we as editors find that RELA has accomplished. Secondly, we introduce changes that... more
The first issue of RELA was published in 2010, so with this issue we enter the 10-year anniversary. In this editorial, we will firstly elaborate on what we as editors find that RELA has accomplished. Secondly, we introduce changes that are taking place while entering 2019, and lastly, we introduce the papers which are included in this issue.
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This article poses these questions: How do participants on two different courses in folk high schools in Sweden, a basic course and a theatre course, motivate their educational and occupational choices, and what similarities and... more
This article poses these questions: How do participants on two different courses in folk high schools in Sweden, a basic course and a theatre course, motivate their educational and occupational choices, and what similarities and differences can be identified? We analyse interviews with students drawing on a narrative approach. Five trajectories emerge: desire to get away; desire to get back on track; desire for employment; desire to change occupation; and desire to realise one's dreams. We argue that these trajectories reproduce existing social stratification in society, whereby certain futures are available to some people, and not to others.
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The role of adult education in the shaping and fostering of democratic citizens is prevalent in current transnational and national policy discussions; a significance which has been further infused by the past few years’ historically high... more
The role of adult education in the shaping and fostering of democratic citizens is prevalent in current transnational and national policy discussions; a significance which has been further infused by the past few years’ historically high migration flows. This article focuses specifically on the role of adult education in shaping asylum seekers into “full” citizens in Sweden. Drawing on a poststructural discursive theorisation, the author analyses policy reports as well as interviews with project managers and leaders of study circles (a particular form of collaborative adult learning in Sweden) involved in a state-funded initiative called Svenska från dag
ett [Swedish from Day One]. This programme emerged in the wake of the arrival of high numbers of asylum seekers in Sweden in the autumn of 2015 and onwards, providing them with an introduction to the Swedish language and to Swedish society. The author’s analysis illustrates how a discourse on asylum seekers as “not yet citizens” emerges, where “they” still lack certain knowledge and capabilities deemed necessary to potentially become “full” citizens in Sweden. Such knowledge, besides language, concerns (Swedish) cultural and institutional (e.g. healthcare and taxation) knowledge. The article concludes by raising some questions regarding the way in which the need for country-specific language as a basis for inclusion is taken for granted.
ett [Swedish from Day One]. This programme emerged in the wake of the arrival of high numbers of asylum seekers in Sweden in the autumn of 2015 and onwards, providing them with an introduction to the Swedish language and to Swedish society. The author’s analysis illustrates how a discourse on asylum seekers as “not yet citizens” emerges, where “they” still lack certain knowledge and capabilities deemed necessary to potentially become “full” citizens in Sweden. Such knowledge, besides language, concerns (Swedish) cultural and institutional (e.g. healthcare and taxation) knowledge. The article concludes by raising some questions regarding the way in which the need for country-specific language as a basis for inclusion is taken for granted.
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The aim of this article is to analyse the ways in which migration plays out in adult students’ narratives about their occupational choice and future, focusing on three individual narratives of adult students with various experiences of... more
The aim of this article is to analyse the ways in which migration plays out in adult students’ narratives about their occupational choice and future, focusing on three individual narratives of adult students with various experiences of migration to Sweden. Drawing on Sara Ahmed’s concep- tion of orientation, our results show how the adult students’ narratives on their future occupations are formed on the basis of migration, per- taining to their particular experiences of being recognised as migrant Others. Among the three students, similar challenges emerge in terms of their claims for belonging. One the one hand, the students do claim belonging to the Swedish social community. On the other hand, they are – as ‘migrants’ – repeatedly reminded of their non-belonging to this community. In various ways, they feel out of place. Although migration, in the narratives, is not played out one and the same way, but in various ways, engagement in adult education as a means of finding a job appear as the main orientation guiding the futures of the adult students, as being an important way of finding a future and claim one’s belonging to the Swedish social community.
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This article poses these questions: How do participants on two different courses in folk high schools in Sweden, a basic course and a theatre course, motivate their educational and occupational choices, and what similarities and... more
This article poses these questions: How do participants on two different courses in folk high schools in Sweden, a basic course and a theatre course, motivate their educational and occupational choices, and what similarities and differences can be identified? We analyse interviews with students drawing on a narrative approach. Five trajectories emerge: desire to get away; desire to get back on track; desire for employment; desire to change occupation; and desire to realise one's dreams. We argue that these trajectories reproduce existing social stratification in society, whereby certain futures are available to some people, and not to others.
Research Interests:
In this article, we focus on how a discourse on inclusion operates through language learning programmes for migrants. We direct our attention to a new form of activities funded by the Swedish government, Swedish from day 1, organised by... more
In this article, we focus on how a discourse on inclusion operates through language learning programmes for migrants. We direct our attention to a new form of activities funded by the Swedish government, Swedish from day 1, organised by popular education institutions. These activities emerged in connection to the migration flows in 2015, receiving large sums in funding from the government. They target newly arrived migrants who are waiting for a decision on their resident permit application, and the aim is to provide an introduction to the Swedish language as well as to Swedish society. Drawing on a Foucault-inspired theorization, we direct our attention to how a discourse of inclusion operate through the way these initiatives are spoken about, how these activities are described, what they are intended to attain, and what kind of citizen is shaped through such a way of speaking. We analyse policy documents produced by different actors involved in the process of Swedish from day 1, as well as case study descriptions of courses. We argue that the discourse on inclusion that emerges encompasses a wider as well as an instrumental notion of inclusion. Migrants are positioned as ‘in deficit’, in need of knowledge in order to become included. Such knowledge does not limit itself to knowledge of the Swedish language and knowledge about Swedish society, but also knowledge of health issues, and knowledge about how the migrants can market themselves and their competencies. We end the article by relating this discourse on inclusion to a wider discussion on neoliberal rationalities of governing.
Research Interests: Discourse Analysis, Second Language Acquisition, Popular Education, Adult Education, Lifelong Learning, and 11 moreGovernmentality, Educational Research, Migration, International Migration, Michel Foucault, Migration Studies, Transnational migration, Diversity & Inclusion, Social Inclusion, Folkbildning, and Lifelong learning and adult education
In this piece, we argue that an economy of publication and citations has emerged that not only changes the notion of what is deemed quality in educational research, but also changes the incentives of us as researchers. With pressure on... more
In this piece, we argue that an economy of publication and citations has emerged that not only changes the notion of what is deemed quality in educational research, but also changes the incentives of us as researchers. With pressure on publishing in " international " journals, education researchers are increasingly pushed to publish their research in the article format, and for many, in their second or third language (English). Additionally, we are to direct the research to an audience that might not at all be interested or knowledgeable about the context under scrutiny. With such pressure to publish in English language journals, the question of who is allowed to publish and who is cited is of paramount significance. Based on our own empirical research on the adult educational research field as well as other bibliometric research, we propose that there is an " Anglophone " bias in educational research. We end with a discussion on the implications of the current trend to publish in indexed English language journals and suggest that " Anglophone " as well as non-Anglophone scholars need to start citing other scholars than those from the dominating " Anglophone " countries in order to further enhance knowledge and debate within education. The ultimate irony of the developments described in this piece is that the researchers from non-anglophone countries actively engage in a publication game that underscores their own subordination.
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The aim of this article is to contribute to an understanding of contemporary processes of negotiations concerning belonging and non-belonging to the Swedish social community. Taking on a theoretical approach on belonging inspired by... more
The aim of this article is to contribute to an understanding of contemporary processes of negotiations concerning belonging and non-belonging to the Swedish social community. Taking on a theoretical approach on belonging inspired by Yuval-Davis and Jacobsen, the article analyses three individual stories of women who have migrated to Sweden. Out of this analysis, focusing on how these women claim their belonging to a Swedish social community at the same time as they in different ways are denied such belonging by others, we may conclude that although each of the stories told is unique and articulates an individual experience, there are striking similarities in how their claims of belonging, with its related implications for belonging, are not acknowledged by others. In a way, these individual stories tell us something about some of the crucial challenges regarding belonging in contemporary multi-ethnic Sweden, as well as Europe.
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The role of education in citizen training has been well mapped out in youth education. What has been less studied is how this role comes into being in adult education. By providing illustrative empirical examples from a recently completed... more
The role of education in citizen training has been well mapped out in youth education. What has been less studied is how this role comes into being in adult education. By providing illustrative empirical examples from a recently completed study of adult students enrolled in adult education, this article aims to o er a theoretical response to the question of the role of adult education in adult student citizen subjectivity formation. Taking on Diken’s concept of ‘reactive nihilism’, we wish to make the following arguments. First, that citizen formation in adult education, when students are asked about it, is actualised as processes of re(dis)covery of will in order to be(come) a successful and happy citizen in society. Secondly, that these processes point towards a role of adult education as one where these formation processes work in tandem with those of the reactive nihilists. This means that the citizen formation processes made possible in this educational site are those marked out by the desire to mobilise one’s will formation so that it adapts to the prevailing societal situation—that of late capitalism, which is a situation not considered by the adult students as possible to change.
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The aim of this article is to problematize the ways class and gender are played out in adult students' narratives about their occupational choice and future. Drawing on Beverly Skeggs, we analyse how students think about future... more
The aim of this article is to problematize the ways class and gender are played out in adult students' narratives about their occupational choice and future. Drawing on Beverly Skeggs, we analyse how students think about future occupations, what motivates them towards these and how they are able to form their future in relation to them. Taking on Sweden as a case, our results show that students' narratives on their future occupations are classed as well as gendered. In their vision of future occupations, working-class students tend to focus on occupations helping and caring for others, while middle-class students tend to focus on work more as a means of fulfilling themselves as individuals. These differences are also gendered. Female students are more likely than their male counterparts to picture their future occupations in relation to having children and a family. This tells us that in the female students' narratives, there tends to be a strong focus on caring – for their families as well as in future occupations.
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The role of education in citizen training has been well mapped out in youth education. What has been less studied is how this role comes into being in adult education. By providing illustrative empirical examples from a recently completed... more
The role of education in citizen training has been well mapped out in youth education. What has been less studied is how this role comes into being in adult education. By providing illustrative empirical examples from a recently completed study of adult students enrolled in adult education, this article aims to offer a theoretical response to the question of the role of adult education in adult student citizen subjectivity formation. Taking on Diken's concept of 'reactive nihilism', we wish to make the following arguments. First, that citizen formation in adult education, when students are asked about it, is actualised as processes of re(dis)covery of will in order to be(come) a successful and happy citizen in society. Secondly, that these processes point toward a role of adult education as one where these formation processes work in tandem with those of the reactive nihilists. This means that the citizen formation processes made possible in this educational site are those marked out by the desire to mobilise one's will formation so that it adapts to the prevailing societal situation – that of late capitalism, which is a situation not considered by the adult students as possible to change.
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In recent decades education has been suggested as an important solution to current problems of the population's health. A high level of education in general is construed as essential for the nation's well-being and competitiveness. In... more
In recent decades education has been suggested as an important solution to current problems of the population's health. A high level of education in general is construed as essential for the nation's well-being and competitiveness. In this article we problematise the ways in which discourses on education, learning and health have become interlinked. Drawing on a post-structural theorisation inspired by Michel Foucault, we analyse Swedish policy documents on education and public health and direct our attention to how the healthy citizen is shaped and fostered. We illustrate how the healthy citizen emerges in opposition to the non-healthy, non-desirable and abnormal citizen. Citizens are made responsible for identifying their deficits and suggesting solutions. Governing techniques, such as motivational interviews and physical activity on prescription, operates in order to shape such citizens. Through these techniques, a confessional relation emerges, where citizens are invited to disclose their deficits and problems and in so doing shape themselves in a desired way.
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In this article we report on findings from a large-scale bibliographic study conducted based on the citation practices within the field of research on adult learning. Our data consist of 151,261 citation links between more than 33,000... more
In this article we report on findings from a large-scale bibliographic study conducted based on the citation practices within the field of research on adult learning. Our data consist of 151,261 citation links between more than 33,000 different authors whose papers were published in five leading international journals in the field of adult learning during the time period 2006–2014. By analysing the composition of the dominating citation clusters we are able to construct a telescopic view of the research field based on an accumulation of bibliographic citations. The results consist of two parts. First we go through the dominating players active in the field, their position and mutual relationship. Secondly, we derive two main structural oppositions inherent in the citation networks, one connected to the research object (studying education or work) and the second to the level of analysis (cognition or policy). We find that the most dominating tradition within adult learning the last few decades – socio-cultural perspectives on learning-occupies a very central position in the space of citations, balancing between these opposing poles. We hope that this analysis will help foster reflexivity concerning our own research practices, and will reveal the relations of dominance currently prevailing within the field of adult learning.
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This paper historicises and problematises the concept of the digital citizen and how it is constructed in Sweden today. Specifically, it examines the role of popular education in such an entanglement. It makes use of a genealogical... more
This paper historicises and problematises the concept of the digital citizen and how it is constructed in Sweden today. Specifically, it examines the role of popular education in such an entanglement. It makes use of a genealogical analysis to produce a critical 'history of the present' by mapping out the debates and controversies around the emergence of the digital citizen in the 1970s and 1980s, and following to its manifestations in contemporary debates. This article argues that free and voluntary adult education (popular education) is and has been fundamental in efforts to construe the digital citizen. A central argument of the paper is that popular education aiming for digital inclusion is not a 21 st century phenomenon; it actually commenced in the 1970s. However, this digitisation of citizens has also changed focus dramatically since the 1970s. During the 1970s, computers and computerisation were described as disconcerting, and as requiring popular education in order to counter the risk of the technology " running wild ". In current discourses, digitalisation is constructed in a non-ideological and post-political way. These post-political tendencies of today can be referred to as a post-digital present where computers have become so ordinary, domesticized and ubiquitous in everyday life that they are thereby also beyond criticism.
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The focus of this article is the discourse of entrepreneurship education in Sweden. Drawing on a genealogical approach, the analysis draws attention to how this discourse is shaped in the curriculum today, and how it has come to emerge.... more
The focus of this article is the discourse of entrepreneurship education in Sweden. Drawing on a genealogical approach, the analysis draws attention to how this discourse is shaped in the curriculum today, and how it has come to emerge. Focusing on two key events that constitute this discourse, responsibility and problem-solving, and tracing these events back in time, the analysis illustrates how the discourse on entrepreneurship education today shapes a specific kind of citizen, one who is responsible for themselves and who has developed a constant will and desire for learning, thus being able to adapt to the constant changing future. Such a citizen is distinctly different from the one emerging in the 1960s and 1980s, where a citizen that shows solidarity with others, and especially the weak, and who develops problem-solving skills in order to actively engage in the development of society, emerges. These results can be related to wider trends in education policy, where neoliberal rationalities have become more central, in Sweden as well as in other countries, where there has been a shift of focus, from an understanding of education as a common good, to an understanding of education as a private good.
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The aim of this article is to analyse how a discourse on the role model operates in youth recreational work. Drawing on Michel Foucault's concepts of subjectivity, discourse and power/knowledge, the article analyses interviews with youth... more
The aim of this article is to analyse how a discourse on the role model operates in youth recreational work. Drawing on Michel Foucault's concepts of subjectivity, discourse and power/knowledge, the article analyses interviews with youth recreation leader students enrolled at a folk high school, and their talk about occupational choice. The analysis illustrates how a discourse on the role model emerge and operate through the ways students' descriptions of 'being', and 'doing' intersect with their becoming as role models. The analysis raises several important questions. Should youth recreational work only target those young people who are already marginalised? Are there other subject positions than the role model, available to take up in youth recreation work? Are experiences of marginalisation necessary in order for a desirable youth recreation leader to emerge?
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This article analyzes the formation of citizenship in today's multi-ethnic Sweden with a particular focus on how migration renders visible existing citizenship ideals, defined in terms of similarity and difference on the basis of... more
This article analyzes the formation of citizenship in today's multi-ethnic Sweden with a particular focus on how migration renders visible existing citizenship ideals, defined in terms of similarity and difference on the basis of ethno-cultural background. Analysing three individual stories of women who have migrated to Sweden, with different biographies and stories of how they ended up in Sweden, the article focuses on negotiations of the boundaries and contents of citizenship in multi-ethnic Sweden. The point of departure for the analysis is a post-structuralist and discursive approach. In all, the stories address the crucial question of who should be included into the social community and on what conditions – and who should be left out? This particular question is also at the very centre of the political debate in today's Europe. On the one hand, there are strong arguments about the 'death of multiculturalism' and demands for new forms of ethno-culturally graduated citizenship – also in Sweden. On the other hand, in Sweden as well as in other European countries, claims for the development of a new and more inclusive societal community have been raised, expanding the rights of citizens to accommodating also those who have been excluded from them.
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In this article we have analysed the ways a discourse on individualisation is taking shape within adult education in Sweden, how it operates, and what effects it has in terms of shaping student subjectivity. Drawing on a post-structural... more
In this article we have analysed the ways a discourse on individualisation is taking shape within adult education in Sweden, how it operates, and what effects it has in terms of shaping student subjectivity. Drawing on a post-structural theorisation we analyse interviews with teachers and students in municipal adult education (MAE) and folk high schools (FHS). The analysis illustrates how both institutions contribute to the shaping of individualised subjectivities, although differently. At the end, a general question is raised about what happens with the democratic function of adult education in general, when a discourse on individualisation operates in the ways described, and more specifically, asks what is happening to FHS as an educational practice, that upholds its self-image as a last bastion of a collective notion of learning and subjectivity, and nurturing an educational practice of learning democracy?
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The marketization of education is a global phenomenon and has attracted increased interest during the last three decades, not least in terms of research on school choice and its consequences. However, while much research has been... more
The marketization of education is a global phenomenon and has attracted increased interest during the last three decades, not least in terms of research on school choice and its consequences. However, while much research has been conducted on the marketization of schooling, less attention has been directed at adult education. In this paper, focus is directed at institutional logics and institutional responses to the process of marketization of adult education. More specifically, we focus on how a procurement system, implemented in order to create competition and to increase quality in adult education, influences how students construe themselves, as well as the way principals and teachers work. Our results indicate that teachers emerge as the main source of resistance towards an institutional logic emerging in the wake of marketization, while principals and students to a large extent conform to the emerging institutional demands.
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Det mediala landskapet målar upp skolans kris med utgångspunkt i internationella mätningar som PISA-undersökningen (Skolverket, 2013). Mot bakgrund av denna kris finns det tre förhållandevis uppenbara skäl att fästa uppmärksamhet vid... more
Det mediala landskapet målar upp skolans kris med utgångspunkt i internationella mätningar som PISA-undersökningen (Skolverket, 2013). Mot bakgrund av denna kris finns det tre förhållandevis uppenbara skäl att fästa uppmärksamhet vid politikområdet vuxnas utbildning och lärande. För det första, oavsett vad man väljer att se som huvudskälen till skolans kris och de bristande kunskaperna hos många av de elever som idag lämnar ungdomsskolan, kommer det finnas behov av ytterligare möjligheter för lärande och utbildning för dessa personer i vuxen ålder. För det andra kan vi se att det svenska systemet för vuxnas lärande inte tycks ha präglats av samma direkta krissymptom som barn-och ungdomsskolan. Enligt PIAAC (SCB, 2013), en jämförande internationell undersökning som förenklat kan beskrivas som en PISA-motsvarighet inom vuxnas lärande, har Sverige en mycket stark ställning. En tredje observation är att om skolan länge varit ett av de hetaste politikområdena, präglat av en uppsjö konfliktytor, ändringsförlag och reformer, menar vi att folkbildningen (i mycket stor utsträckning) och vuxenutbildningen (i betydande utsträckning) präglats av konsensus och avsaknad av större politiska skiljelinjer. I ljuset av detta vill vi lyfta fram utvecklingstendenser inom vuxnas lärande de senaste decennierna, som utgångpunkt för reflektioner om framtiden. En avgränsning görs till politiken för folkbildning och den kommunala vuxenutbildningen. Mer konkret bygger analysen på läsning av ett antal propositioner och offentliga utredningar inom området fr.o.m. 1990, vilka relateras till aktuell forskning.
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Den professur i vuxenpedagogik jag tillträdde 1 oktober 2012 är den enda i sitt slag i Sverige. Genom riksdagsbeslut inrättades den med syfte att stärka forskning inom det vuxenpedagogiska området. Inte minst var det del i satsning på att... more
Den professur i vuxenpedagogik jag tillträdde 1 oktober 2012 är den enda i sitt slag i Sverige. Genom riksdagsbeslut inrättades den med syfte att stärka forskning inom det vuxenpedagogiska området. Inte minst var det del i satsning på att stärka forskningsbasen vid folkhögskollärarprogrammet vid Linköpings universitet, det enda lärosäte där detta program har funnits och för tillfället finns. Först att inneha professuren var Kjell Rubenson som innehade den från 1983, men som efter flytt till University of British Columbia i Vancouver, Kanada, på heltid ersattes av Staffan Larsson 1993. Att detta är den enda professuren i Sverige inom området kan å ena sidan ses som något unikt. Å andra sidan kanske frågan väcks om det kan indikera att vuxenpedagogik är något perifert i Sverige. Är det något som finns i andra länder? Kanske väcker benämningen i sig också frågan om vad vuxenpedagogik kan tänkas vara. Handlar det om kunskap om hur man lär vuxna att lära sig något? Mitt korta svar på dessa frågor skulle vara ja. Men sådant kort svar skulle vara alltför för enkelt, och med stor sannolikhet skapa utrymme för misstolkning och missförstånd. I denna installationsföreläsning ämnar jag börja teckna ett mer utförligt svar på dessa frågor. Med grund i både min egen och andras forskning kommer jag skapa en berättelse om vuxenpedagogik som forskningsfält. Å ena sidan vänder jag mig till historiska läsningar av " fältet ". Å andra sidan tar jag utgångspunkt i de bibliometriska studier om fältet som jag genomfört och för tillfället genomför tillsammans med postdoktor Erik Nylander (se Fejes & Nylander, 2014, 2015). Föreläsningen är uppdelad i tre delar, där jag först skisserar en möjlig historia av det vuxenpedagogiska forskningsfältet genom att göra nedslag i den nationella och internationella vuxenpedagogiska litteraturen. För det andra, skisserar jag hur " fältet " i termer av makt formas i nutid genom att diskutera publicerings-och citeringsekonomin och hur den bidrar till att inkludera och exkludera forskare utifrån geografiska parametrar. Som tredje och sista del, ämnar jag skapa en berättelse om " fältet " i termer av vilken typ av forskning som dominerar med grund i publicerings-och citeringsekonomin. Vad anses vara värt att publicera och citera i tidskrifter inom fältet? Särskilt fokus riktas mot frågor om vilka teoretiska och metodologiska utgångspunkter som tycks dominera. På så sätt ämnar jag svara på följande frågor: • Hur kan det vuxenpedagogiska forskningsfältet karakteriseras i termer av dess historia och epistemologi? • Vilka forskare publicerar sig och tillåts publicera sig inom det vuxenpedagogiska forskningsfältet inom ramen för dagens publicerings-och citeringsekonomi? • Vilken typ av forsknings publiceras och tillåts publiceras inom det vuxenpedagogiska forskningsfältet inom ramen för dagens publicerings-och citeringsekonomi?
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In this paper, drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, I argue that academics are enmeshed in power relations in which confession operates, both on and through academics. Drawing on Foucault's genealogy of confession, I illustrate how... more
In this paper, drawing on the work of Michel Foucault, I argue that academics are enmeshed in power relations in which confession operates, both on and through academics. Drawing on Foucault's genealogy of confession, I illustrate how academics are not only invited to reflect on performance, faults, temptations and desires in their work and private life, but as teachers they mobilise the same kind of technology in relation to students. These power relations are connected to wider changes in society, where discourses on New Public Management have become all pervasive in organising and governing public institutions. The examples of the use of appraisal interviews and logbooks as governing techniques illustrate how government currently operates through the freedom of the individual. The paper ends with a discussion on how books of life could introduce a different relation of the self to the self in academia, and thus provide opportunities to live the present otherwise.
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We argue that municipal adult education (MAE) can be seen as a place for displaced and abnormal citizens to gain temporary stability, enabling their shaping into desirable subjects. Drawing on a poststructural discursive analysis, we... more
We argue that municipal adult education (MAE) can be seen as a place for displaced and abnormal citizens to gain temporary stability, enabling their shaping into desirable subjects. Drawing on a poststructural discursive analysis, we analyze policy texts and interviews with teachers and students. Our analysis illustrates how two distinct but interrelated student subjectivities are shaped: the rootless, unmotivated, and irresponsible student; and the responsible, motivated, and goal-oriented student. The difference is that the latter of these subjectivities is positioned as desirable. MAE provides a temporary place in time, a heterotopia of deviation, allowing students to escape precarious employment. The heterotopia places the students in a positive utopian dream of the future. A utopia is not a real place, and what is to become of the students after finishing MAE is not determined; the students themselves should shape it. If they fail, in line with a neoliberal governmentality, it is their own fault.
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How do adult students enact citizenship, and what discursive and material conditions make certain enactments more or less possible? This paper draws on 37 interviews with adult students at Swedish Folk High Schools and focuses on the... more
How do adult students enact citizenship, and what discursive and material conditions make certain enactments more or less possible? This paper draws on 37 interviews with adult students at Swedish Folk High Schools and focuses on the everyday material-discursive enactments of interactive media in adult students’ statements about citizenship. Drawing on a post-constructional perspective, the analysis illustrates how students’ statements about citizenship are made possible by ever-present media technologies and the associated practices of ‘living in media’. Students’ statements continuously reiterate how notions of citizenship are entangled with the Internet (and other new media). However, while new media are deeply embedded in the everyday lives of citizens and enables important citizenship enactments they are also a source of discomfort, giving rise to ambiguous statements. These double-edged statements refer on the one hand to negative implications on physical health, distraction from important tasks and an over-reliance on the Internet as an everyday need, and on the other hand to improved access to information, convivial communities and empowered citizenship.
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What the field of adult education research is and how it can be described has been a debated issue over the decades. Several scholars argue that the field today is heterogeneous, borrowing theories and methods from a range of disciplines.... more
What the field of adult education research is and how it can be described has been a debated issue over the decades. Several scholars argue that the field today is heterogeneous, borrowing theories and methods from a range of disciplines. In this article, we take such statements as a starting point for empirical analysis. In what ways could it be argued that the field is pluralistic rather than monolithic; heterogeneous rather than homogenous? Drawing on bibliographic data of the top cited articles in three main adult education journals between 2005 and 2012, we illustrate how the citation patterns have tendencies of homogeneity when it comes to the geographical country of authorship, since the USA, UK, Australia and Canada dominate, as well as the research methods adopted, since qualitative approaches have near total dominance. Furthermore, there is a tendency to adopt similar theoretical approaches, since sociocultural perspectives, critical pedagogy and post-structuralism represent more than half of the articles in our sample. At the same time, the results of our analysis indicate signs of scholarly pluralism, for instance, in terms of authorship, since both early career researchers and established researchers are represented among the top cited publications. We conclude the article by arguing that empirical analysis of publication and citation patterns is important to further the development of reflexivity within the field, not least for early career researchers, who might benefit from knowledge about what has been recognized among peers as worth citing in recent times.
Research Interests: Library Science, Popular Education, Adult Education, Lifelong Learning, Higher Education, and 8 moreBibliometrics, Sociology of Science, Sociology of Scientific Knowledge (Sociology), Vocational Education, Workplace Learning, Adult learning, Lifelong learning and adult education, and Scienciometrics and bibliometrics studies
Research funding, promotions, and career trajectories are currently increasingly dependent on the emerging economy of publications and citations across the globe. Such an economy encourages scholars to publish in international journals... more
Research funding, promotions, and career trajectories are currently increasingly dependent on the emerging economy of publications and citations across the globe. Such an economy encourages scholars to publish in international journals that are indexed in databases such as Scopus and Web of Science. These developments place an increased emphasis on the question of who is allowed to publish in the journals listed there and whose research counts as valuable. Based on bibliographic data from articles submitted to three main journals in the field of adult education research between 2005 and 2012, we scrutinize the extent to which the emerging economy of publications and citations is dependent on national and regional boundaries. Our results show how four Anglophone countries dominate the field in relation to both published articles and the share of most cited articles and where the publication pattern of these authors are national and regional rather than international.
Research Interests: Sociology of Education, Library Science, Popular Education, Adult Education, Higher Education, and 13 moreBibliometrics, Educational Research, Scientometrics, Sociology Of Scientific Knowledge, Library and Information Science, Internationalization, Sociology of Science, Globalization And Higher Education, Educación, Internationalization of higher education, Bildung, Bibliometric and citation analysis, and Educação de Jovens e Adultos
Denna artikel tar upp några olika teoretiska perspektiv som kan användas och har använts för att förstå bedömning som företeelse i pedagogiska sammanhang. Diskussionen tar sin utgångspunkt i ett exempel på bedömning som förekommer främst... more
Denna artikel tar upp några olika teoretiska perspektiv som kan användas och har använts för att förstå bedömning som företeelse i pedagogiska sammanhang. Diskussionen tar sin utgångspunkt i ett exempel på bedömning som förekommer främst inom utbildning för vuxna, nämligen validering. Inledningsvis ges en definition av validering, som kort sagt handlar om att synliggöra, bedöma och ge erkännande åt de kunskaper som utvecklats i sammanhang utanför det formella skolsystemet, men även i utbildningssammanhang i andra kontexter än där man befinner sig (till exempel i andra länder). Därefter presenteras och diskuteras, med utgångspunkt i tidigare svensk forskning, såväl vår egen som andras, ett antal teoretiska perspektiv som använts för att förstå och analysera validering som företeelse. Exempel på perspektiv är teori om situerat lärande, Habermas teori om kommunikativt handlande och Foucaults diskursanalytiska perspektiv. Till sist diskuteras teorierna tillskott och användbarhet i analys och förståelse av bedömning mer generellt.
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This paper explores citizenship discourses empirically through upper secondary school student’s understandings, as these emerge in and through their everyday experiences. Drawing on a post-structuralist theorisation inspired by the work... more
This paper explores citizenship discourses empirically through upper secondary school student’s understandings, as these emerge in and through their everyday experiences. Drawing on a post-structuralist theorisation inspired by the work of Michel Foucault, a discourse analysis of data from interviews with students is carried out. This analysis characterises three discourses of the active citizen – a knowledgeable citizen, a responsive and holistic citizen and a self-responsible “free” citizen. The analysis raises questions over the implications of contemporary efforts for the intensification of standardising forces through citizenship education. It also stresses the notion that engaging students actively does always also involve discourses other than those stressed through the curriculum, which nurtures the body and nerve of democracy itself.
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Occupational choices are made based on extrinsic and/or extrinsic reasons. These choices are not gender neutral but intertwined with gendered societal traditions and expectations on abilities, skills and competencies for women and men.... more
Occupational choices are made based on extrinsic and/or extrinsic reasons. These choices are not gender neutral but intertwined with gendered societal traditions and expectations on abilities, skills and competencies for women and men. This paper aims to problematise how gender is being done through occupational choices within two occupations who traditionally (and still are) gender divided: elderly care work and police work.
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Relatively little attention has been paid to questions of how language acts in and through the interactions of language in situations where people are encouraged to learn to be active in contexts of work. This paper argues that detailed... more
Relatively little attention has been paid to questions of how language acts in and through the interactions of language in situations where people are encouraged to learn to be active in contexts of work. This paper argues that detailed analysis is needed to understand how activation through language acts in the shaping and governing of workers. By combining resources from Michel Foucault and the conversation analysis of Jonathan Potter, we analyse observational notes and records of conversation from work activities at a nursing home for elderly people in Sweden. A technique and tactics of invitation are identified as operating through language interactions at work in attempts at the shaping of activate and responsibilise workers. This analysis contributes to wider discussions over how attempts are made to shape subjectivities at work.
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Neoliberalism and Market Forces in Education provides a wide perspective on the dramatic transformation of education policy in Sweden that has taken place during the last 30 years, with a specific focus on marketization. The marketization... more
Neoliberalism and Market Forces in Education provides a wide perspective on the dramatic transformation of education policy in Sweden that has taken place during the last 30 years, with a specific focus on marketization. The marketization of education in Sweden is set in the wider international context of changes in education systems.
With contributions from researchers across a wide range of scientific disciplines, the book provides examples of the consequences of market orientation in education in terms of increase in inequality as well as in terms of what the market orientation means for principals, teachers and students. It considers how Sweden has developed one of the most marketized education systems in the world and the possible consequences of such processes, as identified by research.
Neoliberalism and Market Forces in Education will be of great interest to educational practitioners, politicians, scholars in the field, and postgraduate and research students in education.
With contributions from researchers across a wide range of scientific disciplines, the book provides examples of the consequences of market orientation in education in terms of increase in inequality as well as in terms of what the market orientation means for principals, teachers and students. It considers how Sweden has developed one of the most marketized education systems in the world and the possible consequences of such processes, as identified by research.
Neoliberalism and Market Forces in Education will be of great interest to educational practitioners, politicians, scholars in the field, and postgraduate and research students in education.
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Sverige har genom det fria skolvalet och rätten till vinster i välfärden skapat ett av världens mest marknadsutsatta utbildningssystem. Vilka konsekvenser har detta fått för skolans likvärdighet och kompensatoriska uppdrag, och hur... more
Sverige har genom det fria skolvalet och rätten till vinster i välfärden skapat ett av världens mest marknadsutsatta utbildningssystem. Vilka konsekvenser har detta fått för skolans likvärdighet och kompensatoriska uppdrag, och hur påverkar systemet lärare och elever? Dessa är några av de mest brännande frågorna i dagens diskussion om skolan och dess utveckling, frågor som diskuteras i denna bok.
I boken, en av de första som samlar forskare från olika discipliner som studerat marknadsorienteringens konsekvenser för den svenska skolan, påvisas hur marknadsutsättningen bidragit till ökad ojämlikhet, differentiering, samt deprofessionalisering av lärare och deras arbete. Bokens redaktörer efterlyser en utredning sammansatt av forskare som genomlyser marknadsreformerna och deras effekter, som kan ligga till grund för skarpa förslag för införande av ett system som på ett bättre sätt bidrar till ökad likvärdighet och minskad segregation.
Boken vänder sig till lärarstuderande, lärare, skolledare, skolpolitiker och en intresserad allmänhet.
I boken, en av de första som samlar forskare från olika discipliner som studerat marknadsorienteringens konsekvenser för den svenska skolan, påvisas hur marknadsutsättningen bidragit till ökad ojämlikhet, differentiering, samt deprofessionalisering av lärare och deras arbete. Bokens redaktörer efterlyser en utredning sammansatt av forskare som genomlyser marknadsreformerna och deras effekter, som kan ligga till grund för skarpa förslag för införande av ett system som på ett bättre sätt bidrar till ökad likvärdighet och minskad segregation.
Boken vänder sig till lärarstuderande, lärare, skolledare, skolpolitiker och en intresserad allmänhet.
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Adult Education and the Formation of Citizens turns attention towards normative claims about who adults should become through education, and what capacities and skills adults need to develop to become included in society as ‘full’... more
Adult Education and the Formation of Citizens turns attention towards normative claims about who adults should become through education, and what capacities and skills adults need to develop to become included in society as ‘full’ citizens. Through these debates, adults are construed as not yet citizens, despite already being citizens in a formal sense; this book problematises such regimes of truth and their related notions of the possibilities and impossibilities of adult education and citizenship.
Drawing on empirical examples from the two main adult education institutions in Sweden, folk high schools and municipal adult education, it argues that, through current regimes of truth, these institutions become spaces for the re-shaping of the "abnormal" citizen. The book suggests that only certain futures of citizenship and its educational provision are made possible, while other futures are ignored or even made impossible to imagine. Offering a unique focus on critically problematising the role of adult education in relation to the fostering and shaping of citizens, the book addresses the important contemporary challenges of the role of adult education in a time of migration.
Adult Education and the Formation of Citizens will be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of adult education, lifelong learning and education.
"Citizenship education is typically viewed as an unproblematic ‘good’ thing that empowers adults to participate fully in a democratic society. In this fascinating volume, Andreas Fejes and his colleagues outline the normative nature of citizenship education and challenge the idea that those not receiving such education are somehow ‘less than’ full citizens. Drawing on Foucault’s ideas they analyse conceptions of citizenship and practices of education as regimes of truth, and explore the ways that power relations shape citizenship as a process of inclusion and exclusion."
Stephen Brookfield, John Ireland Endowed Chair, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, USA.
"Never has there been time when we need more strategic adult education oriented to formal, nonformal and informal sectors, to address the ongoing crises in citizenship and global civil society. In putting adult education at the centre, the authors not only fill a deep gap in citizenship education, they push for more careful consideration of the many challenges citizens face globally. This book is a must read for those of us interested in the discourses of citizenship, adult education, and global civil society."
Leona M. English is Professor of Adult Education at St. Francis Xavier University, Canada.
Drawing on empirical examples from the two main adult education institutions in Sweden, folk high schools and municipal adult education, it argues that, through current regimes of truth, these institutions become spaces for the re-shaping of the "abnormal" citizen. The book suggests that only certain futures of citizenship and its educational provision are made possible, while other futures are ignored or even made impossible to imagine. Offering a unique focus on critically problematising the role of adult education in relation to the fostering and shaping of citizens, the book addresses the important contemporary challenges of the role of adult education in a time of migration.
Adult Education and the Formation of Citizens will be of great interest to academics, researchers and postgraduate students in the fields of adult education, lifelong learning and education.
"Citizenship education is typically viewed as an unproblematic ‘good’ thing that empowers adults to participate fully in a democratic society. In this fascinating volume, Andreas Fejes and his colleagues outline the normative nature of citizenship education and challenge the idea that those not receiving such education are somehow ‘less than’ full citizens. Drawing on Foucault’s ideas they analyse conceptions of citizenship and practices of education as regimes of truth, and explore the ways that power relations shape citizenship as a process of inclusion and exclusion."
Stephen Brookfield, John Ireland Endowed Chair, University of St. Thomas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, USA.
"Never has there been time when we need more strategic adult education oriented to formal, nonformal and informal sectors, to address the ongoing crises in citizenship and global civil society. In putting adult education at the centre, the authors not only fill a deep gap in citizenship education, they push for more careful consideration of the many challenges citizens face globally. This book is a must read for those of us interested in the discourses of citizenship, adult education, and global civil society."
Leona M. English is Professor of Adult Education at St. Francis Xavier University, Canada.
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... To keep on learning throughout one's life is perceived to be intrinsically good and a necessity for the economy and the state. ... the field, will feel that after reading it they understand its theories or practices any... more
... To keep on learning throughout one's life is perceived to be intrinsically good and a necessity for the economy and the state. ... the field, will feel that after reading it they understand its theories or practices any better though, in the spirit of Foucault, they will ... 2009, Lore Arthur. ...
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Denna bok ger en introduktion till validering av kunskap och kompetens, närmare bestämt den ambition som finns i vårt samhälle att värdera och ge erkännande åt vad människor lärt sig oavsett var, när och hur detta skett. <img... more
Denna bok ger en introduktion till validering av kunskap och kompetens, närmare bestämt den ambition som finns i vårt samhälle att värdera och ge erkännande åt vad människor lärt sig oavsett var, när och hur detta skett. <img src="http://www.studentlitteratur.se/images/general/blank ...
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In recent years, researchers throughout the world have come under increased pressure to publish in English, direct their scholarly work to internationally acclaimed journals indexed in the dominating databases (i.e. Scopus and Web of... more
In recent years, researchers throughout the world have come under increased pressure to publish in English, direct their scholarly work to internationally acclaimed journals indexed in the dominating databases (i.e. Scopus and Web of Science) and render their work citable among peers in other countries. In this chapter, we summarize some recent bibliometric studies that have mapped out what kind of research that have been published and cited in three leading journals related to adult––lifelong education and learning––and which researchers that has been given recognition. We argue that the strong political waves of managerial reform have made academic career trajectories and promotions more dependent upon publications and citations, thus necessitating a discussion about the most effective publication strategies for submission. At the same time, we acknowledge the multiple professional demands of adult educational scholars and highlight the ways different definitions of scholarly impact might stand in conflict with one another.
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Om PISA Förmiddag den 6 december 2016. Politiker, lärare och andra med intresse för svensk skola håller andan. Får vi ännu ett " PISA-fiasko " ? Presterar svenska elever sämre än för tre år sedan? Eller kan vi se en vändning? Når vi upp... more
Om PISA Förmiddag den 6 december 2016. Politiker, lärare och andra med intresse för svensk skola håller andan. Får vi ännu ett " PISA-fiasko " ? Presterar svenska elever sämre än för tre år sedan? Eller kan vi se en vändning? Når vi upp till OECD genomsnittet? Borde vi inte ligga i topp, som vi en gång gjorde? Resultaten offentliggörs. Svenska elever presenterar bättre inom alla tre områden, läskunnighet, naturvetenskap och matematik, än för tre år sedan. Sverige ligger nu också på, och till och med i något område, över OECD genomsnittet. Lättnadens suck går genom " skolsverige ". Svensk skolas nedgående spiral har vänt sägs det i media, och av ledande politiker. Ovanstående beskrivning, om än kort, baseras på det sätt det i svensk media, och i offentlighet, har talats om svensk skola och PISA mätningarna, dagarna upp till, och direkt efter, att resultaten offentliggjordes. Men PISA-mätningarna har också under senare år alltmer kommit att bli en central komponent i hur politiker, media och även en bredare allmänhet, har börjat tala om svensk skola. Svensk skola är i kris, har det sagts, ofta med hänvisning till just PISA-mätningarna. PISA-mätningarna har med andra ord blivit en naturaliserad, och förgivet tagen legitimitetsgivare för hur ett skolsystem i ett land kan karakteriseras. Men vänta nu, mäter inte PISA bara vissa saker? Mäter PISA verkligen elevers resultat i mer bred bemärkelse? Och på vilket sätt tar PISA nationella läroplaner, i beaktande? Invändningar som dessa är lätta att göra och får naturligtvis medhåll från de som genomför PISA-mätningarna. PISA mäter bara vissa saker, och mätningarna i sig har en rad begräsningar. Men trots flera begränsningar, så går PISA-mätningarna från att vara något mycket begränsat i termer av vad det mäter, till att ge svar på frågan om skolans tillstånd i Sverige. Hur kommer detta sig? Vad är det som har gjort det möjligt att beskriva svensk skola som en skola i kris? Hur kommer det sig att just denna form av kunskap som PISA-mätningarna representerar, har kommit att blir den " sanna " kunskapen? Och vad blir till genom denna form av kunskap? Med hjälp av Foucault skulle vi kunna säga att svensk skola blir till genom PISA. Med grund i vissa tekniker, baserat på specifika antaganden om hur vi kan få kunskap om världen, mäts elevers kunskaper inom ett antal områden. Genom mätningarna objektiveras eleverna, dvs. kunskap skapas om elever i enskilda länder. I nästa steg jämförs resultat mellan länder, och i relation till tidigare resultat. Vinnare och förlorare definieras i relation till normen representerat genom OECD genomsnittet, och i förlängningen döms vissa utbildningssystem ut och andra hyllas. Och i nästa steg definieras ett antal " nödvändiga " interventioner som inger hopp om att i nästa PISA komma bättre ut.
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This chapter takes inspiration from Foucault's theorisations of confession and confessing practices in order to provide some alternatives to the confessional in the present time. This is an important task in terms of creating a space to... more
This chapter takes inspiration from Foucault's theorisations of confession and confessing practices in order to provide some alternatives to the confessional in the present time. This is an important task in terms of creating a space to think about the confessional and what it does in our present, differently. By picking up examples from the work of Foucault and others, and illustrating the evidentiary status of contemporary confessional practices, we hope to ‘rob them of their evidentiary status, in order to give them back to the mobility that they had and that they should always have’ (Foucault, 2007b, p. 139). In doing so, possibilities for different actions and reactions might be made possible, and thus the possibilities ‘to live the present otherwise’ (Foucault, 1979) might emerge. However, living the present otherwise will not take us outside of power relations. Power is everywhere and it is productive. Rather, to live otherwise may traverse power relations that allow different subjectivities and different power/knowledge constellations to emerge.
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The focus of this chapter is on education as a social right and particularly the formation of ‘active citizens’ through cognitive behavioural techniques adopted by schools across Sweden. On the basis of interviews with staff from two... more
The focus of this chapter is on education as a social right and particularly the formation of ‘active citizens’ through cognitive behavioural techniques adopted by schools across Sweden. On the basis of interviews with staff from two different schools, as well as manuals, the analysis focuses on two therapeutic programmes. The theoretical point of departure is the theorization of governmentality developed in the wake of the work of Michel Foucault. The various techniques initiated within these programmes make a certain kind of governing possible – ‘governing in the name of freedom’. Overall, the teaching within these programmes can be viewed as expressing an advanced liberal governance, which involves educating children into active citizens, with the responsibility for developing their own future and both willing and able to take responsibility for their actions, rather than into passive bearers of rights.
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The focus of this chapter is on education as a social right and particularly the formation of ‘active citizens’ through cognitive behavioural techniques adopted by schools across Sweden. On the basis of interviews with staff from two... more
The focus of this chapter is on education as a social right and particularly the formation of ‘active citizens’ through cognitive behavioural techniques adopted by schools across Sweden. On the basis of interviews with staff from two different schools, as well as manuals, the analysis focuses on two therapeutic programmes. The theoretical point of departure is the theorization of governmentality developed in the wake of the work of Michel Foucault. The various techniques initiated within these programmes make a certain kind of governing possible – ‘governing in the name of freedom’. Overall, the teaching within these programmes can be viewed as expressing an advanced liberal governance, which involves educating children into active citizens, with the responsibility for developing their own future and both willing and able to take responsibility for their actions, rather than into passive bearers of rights.
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liu.se. Publications. ...
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Detta är en oumbärlig handbok för dig som ska skriva en akademisk uppsats baserad på kvalitativ datainsamling som exempelvis kvalitativa intervjuer, detaljerade observationer av samtal, textdokument eller fältstudier. Här får du konkreta... more
Detta är en oumbärlig handbok för dig som ska skriva en akademisk uppsats baserad på kvalitativ datainsamling som exempelvis kvalitativa intervjuer, detaljerade observationer av samtal, textdokument eller fältstudier. Här får du konkreta råd och en gedigen genomgång av grundläggande aspekter av kvalitativ forskning samt redskap för att analysera data. Boken redogör för olika former av kvalitativ analys och går därutöver även igenom forskarens roll, forskningsprocessen, metoder för datainsamling samt vilken metodansats ...
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Discipliner, ämnesområden och vetenskaplig verksamhet har sin grund i, och producerar kunskap. Kunskap är också utgångspunkt för beslut som tas av beslutsfattare på olika nivåer, allt ifrån riksdagspolitiker ner till den enskilde läraren... more
Discipliner, ämnesområden och vetenskaplig verksamhet har sin grund i, och producerar kunskap. Kunskap är också utgångspunkt för beslut som tas av beslutsfattare på olika nivåer, allt ifrån riksdagspolitiker ner till den enskilde läraren eller eleven i skolan. Det sker även en kamp om vilken kunskap som anses vara den rätta, den goda eller den åtråvärda, något som skiftar i tid och rum.
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The aim of this paper is to analyse how a discourse on the role model operates in youth recreational work. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concepts of subjectivity, discourse and power/knowledge, the paper analyses interviews with youth... more
The aim of this paper is to analyse how a discourse on the role model operates in youth recreational work. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concepts of subjectivity, discourse and power/knowledge, the paper analyses interviews with youth recreation leader students enrolled at a folk high school, and their talk about occupational choice. The analysis illustrates how a discourse on the role model emerge and operate through the ways students’ descriptions of ‘being’, and ‘doing’ intersect with their becoming as role models. The analysis raises several important questions. Should youth recreational work only target those young people who are already marginalised? Are there other subject positions than the role model, available to take up in youth recreation work? Are experiences of marginalisation necessary in order for a desirable youth recreation leader to emerge?
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In this paper, I will argue that relation between the public and the private have been reconfigured in contemporary discourses on popular adult education and lifelong learning. What was previously seen as an effort, through a public... more
In this paper, I will argue that relation between the public and the private have been reconfigured in contemporary discourses on popular adult education and lifelong learning. What was previously seen as an effort, through a public concern for education, to shape the desirable future ...
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The aim of this paper is to analyse the discourse of lifelong learning in Europe and how it constructs the European citizen as one who is always learning. Drawing on the Foucauldian concept of governmentality my interest will be directed... more
The aim of this paper is to analyse the discourse of lifelong learning in Europe and how it constructs the European citizen as one who is always learning. Drawing on the Foucauldian concept of governmentality my interest will be directed at questions concerning governing of such a citizen. Who is the European citizen to become; how should such a citizen be governed; why should governing be practiced (the teleos of government)? In this paper, I will especially focus on analysing practices of study guidance as part of the process of ...
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This paper has asits objective to analyze how the adult learner is being governed inSweden and how this way of governing is specific for the presenttime. This process will be related to processes taking place on theEuropean level in its... more
This paper has asits objective to analyze how the adult learner is being governed inSweden and how this way of governing is specific for the presenttime. This process will be related to processes taking place on theEuropean level in its recent reforms on higher education. I-minspired by the foucaultian concepts of genealogy andgovernmentality (Foucault 2003a, 2003b) as a tool forinterpretation. A discourse analysis is made of official documentsproduced in Sweden concerning adult education and higher educationduring ...
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In the last couple of decades, there has been a shift from speaking about employment to speaking about employability. The interest in this article is directed at how discourses on employability are mobilized in the wider discursive... more
In the last couple of decades, there has been a shift from speaking about employment to speaking about employability. The interest in this article is directed at how discourses on employability are mobilized in the wider discursive terrain of governance. How does governance operate, what subject is produced and, more specifically, who is made responsible for the employability of the citizen through such discourses? These questions are addressed by analysing three different practices: transnational policy documents on ...
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This paper considers the question of why we might draw on resources from the work of Michel Foucault to explore questions related to education and education research. These are questions of the exercise of power and government. The paper... more
This paper considers the question of why we might draw on resources from the work of Michel Foucault to explore questions related to education and education research. These are questions of the exercise of power and government. The paper is written in three main parts. First, the perspective offered through Foucault's work is outlined. This is a perspective through which the education and education theory can be explored as the exercise of power. This perspective is positioned as diagnostic and analytic, and set in contrast to ...
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Boken» The future is not what it appears to be»: Pedagogy, genealogy and political epistemology–in honor and in memory of Kenneth Hultqvist är utgiven till minne av Kenneth Hultqvist som var verksam vid Lärarhögskolan i Stockholm. Hans... more
Boken» The future is not what it appears to be»: Pedagogy, genealogy and political epistemology–in honor and in memory of Kenneth Hultqvist är utgiven till minne av Kenneth Hultqvist som var verksam vid Lärarhögskolan i Stockholm. Hans forskning handlade till stor del om analyser som ifrågasatte de saker vi i vår nutid tar för givet om skola, utbildning och pedagogik. Genom sin forskning förde han på ett tydligt sätt fram poststrukturella perspektiv och redskap från Michel Foucaults» verktygslåda» i svensk pedagogisk forskning.
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Popular education has a long history in Sweden, dating back to the mid-1800s and having developed in close relationship with the state. This relationship has been sustained over the years by the way popular education is spoken of as being... more
Popular education has a long history in Sweden, dating back to the mid-1800s and having developed in close relationship with the state. This relationship has been sustained over the years by the way popular education is spoken of as being “unique”—as being complementary to formal education. In this article, we focus on how the uniqueness of popular education is shaped today, and how it operates to legitimize further support. We draw on Barthes’ notion of myth, analyzing interviews with managers, principals, study circle leaders and teachers working with adult asylum seekers and refugees at study associations and folk high schools. We argue that the myth of the uniqueness of popular education is made up of three rhetorical figures that are mobilized by a range of actors legitimizing state support for popular education. The myth thus becomes a “tool” that commodifies popular education, that is, that turns the myth into monetary funds.
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I denna rapport riktas uppmärksamhet mot några av de många insatser som gjorts i folkbildningens regi, i syfte att bidra till inkludering av nyanlända i spåren av 2015 års flyktingsituation i Sverige och Europa. I rapporten riktas... more
I denna rapport riktas uppmärksamhet mot några av de många insatser som gjorts i folkbildningens regi, i syfte att bidra till inkludering av nyanlända i spåren av 2015 års flyktingsituation i Sverige och Europa. I rapporten riktas särskild uppmärksamhet mot den verksamhet kring språkintroduktion som genomförts i studieförbundet Sensus regi, inom ramen för projektet #fokus. Vår ambition är att med rapporten skapa fördjupad förståelse för dessa verksamheter och deras potential att bidra till migranters sociala inkludering. Hur ser verksamhets- och cirkelledare på sin verksamhet och dess potential att bidra till migranters sociala inkludering? Hur ser deltagarna själva på sina studier, dess funktion och roll här och nu, och inför framtiden?
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Editorial to thematic issue on Citizenship and the Crisis of Democracy
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I kövattnet av senaste årens migrationsrörelser harr en rad initiativ tagits för att möjliggöra nyanländas etablering i det svenska samhället. I denna rapport undersöks ett sådant, att på prov erbjuda gymnasieskolans... more
I kövattnet av senaste årens migrationsrörelser harr en rad initiativ tagits för att möjliggöra nyanländas etablering i det svenska samhället. I denna rapport undersöks ett sådant, att på prov erbjuda gymnasieskolans språkintroduktionsprogram även på folkhögskola. I rapporten jämförs detta program, såsom det genomförs på gymnasium och på folkhögskola.
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The aim of this study is to understand the different ways that university students conceptualise quality in learning by drawing on a phenomenographic approach. A total of 20 students in higher education in Rwanda were interviewed and... more
The aim of this study is to understand the different ways that university students conceptualise quality in learning by drawing on a phenomenographic approach. A total of 20 students in higher education in Rwanda were interviewed and analysis of the interviews generated an outcome space of conceptions of quality in learning as transformation, practice, knowledge durability and employability. The findings illustrate the importance of the relationship between education and work as an important aspect of conceptions of quality ...
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In this article we report on findings from a large-scale bibliographic study conducted based on the citation practices within the field of research on adult learning. Our data consist of 151,261 citation links between more than 33,000... more
In this article we report on findings from a large-scale bibliographic study conducted based on the citation practices within the field of research on adult learning. Our data consist of 151,261 citation links between more than 33,000 different authors whose papers were published in five leading international journals in the field of adult learning during the time period 2006–2014. By analysing the composition of the dominating citation clusters we are able to construct a telescopic view of the research field based on an accumulation of bibliographic citations. The results consist of two parts. First we go through the dominating players active in the field, their position and mutual relationship. Secondly, we derive two main structural oppositions inherent in the citation networks, one connected to the research object (studying education or work) and the second to the level of analysis (cognition or policy). We find that the most dominating tradition within adult learning the last few decades – socio-cultural perspectives on learning-occupies a very central position in the space of citations, balancing between these opposing poles. We hope that this analysis will help foster reflexivity concerning our own research practices, and will reveal the relations of dominance currently prevailing within the field of adult learning.
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I föredraget presenteras resultat från forskningsrapporten Folkbildning på svenska? En studie av språkintroduktion för migranter i studieförbundet Sensus regi, i relation till det större forskningsprogrammet Migration, lärande och social... more
I föredraget presenteras resultat från forskningsrapporten Folkbildning på svenska? En studie av språkintroduktion för migranter i studieförbundet Sensus regi, i relation till det större forskningsprogrammet Migration, lärande och social inkludering, som studien är del av.
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The presentation introduces the broad framework of the book Neoliberalism and market forces in education - lessons from Sweden, reviewing educational reforms in Sweden of the last three decades, that have in all turned the Swedish school... more
The presentation introduces the broad framework of the book Neoliberalism and market forces in education - lessons from Sweden, reviewing educational reforms in Sweden of the last three decades, that have in all turned the Swedish school into a laboratory of market-oriented interventions.