Den bildade arbetaren : Debatten om teknik, samhälle och bildning inom Arbetarnas bildningsförbund 1945-1970

Sammanfattning: Three educational ideals form the point of departure of this investigation: Citizenship, neoclassic character-moulding, and polytechnical (an understanding of science and technology founded on student's work experience). In addition to these three educational philosophies there are some other pcrspectives of importance. Was popular education within The Swedish Worker's Educational Association (ABF) mainty considered as a force for social integration or for social change, and which role and function was assigned to it with regard to democratization? Ways of apprehending technology are also discussed.The rise of the working-elass some two hundred years ago parallels the emergence of modem technology and industrial production as well as the recent tendencies to disaggregation. Hence one would expect to find within the Labour Movement an interest in polytechnic education. However, one result is the almost complete absence of such a commitmentThe other two cultural and educational ideals, though, were present during the whole period hut not in a stable manner. The education for citizenship was successively treated more as a channel for top-to-bottom information than an instrument for constructive and broad political mobilization. The neo-classic ideal changed as weil. What started out in the 1940's as an endeavour directed towards a mature and integrated personality, by the late 1960's had developed into an issue of mental health and individual adjustment to rapid change. This entire discussion was passed on within a framework of a strict division between work andleisure.However, this course of development was throughout the whole period accompanied by doubts and disapproval from single individuals inside and outside the Labour Movement.