Olovlig frånvaro i skolan som problem och diskurs. Rättigheter och skyldigheter i den samtida utbildningspolitiken
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in law and other types of politicial
regulation regarding unauthorized absence during the reformation of the Swedish school
system in 2010. How was this ”new” approach on unauthorized absence established; what
made it possible and which view on ”unauthorized absence” does it implicate? The study has
a discourse analytic approach in which it examines central policy documents regarding the
topic of inquiry. The study has found that the alliance-government’s education policy on
unauthorized absence is pervaded by one hegemonic discourse termed the mono-cultural
disciplinary discourse. The delineation of the discourse order also reveals a subordinated
counter discourse, the rights discourse. Each discourse holds a latent construction of the
unauthorized absent pupils, ”the guilty” and ”the vulnerable”, and among those who wish to
get authorized absence, ”the religious” and ”the high-achievers.” The hegemonic discourse
reveals a liability shift. The transformation of the axiom ”school responsibility” is a
manifestation of a political shift to ”advanced liberalism” here characterized by a
responsibilization of the pupils and their guardians regarding unauthorized absence as a social
problem. Furthermore, this study shows that the political struggle over financial aid in high
school – which discloses the ”new” view on unauthorized absence - is inextricably bound to
the power struggle between the rights discourse and the mono-cultural disciplinary discourse.
Degree
Student essay
Collections
View/ Open
Date
2012-06-21Author
Edenroth Cato, Fanny
Keywords
Truancy
Unauthorized absence
Education policy
truancy, unauthorized absence, education policy,Discourse analysis.
Language
swe