Utbildningspolitik i det andra moderna : Om skolans normativa villkor

Sammanfattning: What could education and citizenship possibly mean in Swedish political thought in the 21st century? The main question of this thesis is: What are the conceptual and historical conditions to relate education to the political and moral dimensions of citizenship, when society is characterized by pluralism cultural diversity? This overall embracing question is discussed from critical philosophical and theoretical view points and a historical perspective of what characterises the present. The first part (I) of the dissertation deals with the philosophical and theoretical discussion of modernity, using the theoretical perspectives of Michel Foucault and Jürgen Habermas. In the second part (II) the 20th century Swedish educational policy is analysed. And finally, the third part is a discussion on how education can be related to ethical and moral foundations when education as well as politics is characterised by plurality. In other words, the third part (III) is a discussion on the normative conditions of education; I discuss different concepts of community, emphasize the political and argue for a need of a cultural dimension of education and citizenship.Education can be seen as one provision (among others) for morally responsible and politically active people - participating in public discourses. The idea of the citizen as a well educated person has had a formative influence on Western educational thought. Even though the citizenship dimension of education has certain historical provisions, this relationship has been formulated in various ways. Education has been related todifferent dimensions of citizenship. The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the discussion on the relation between education, democracy and citizenship, what vaules public education can embrace and on what values public education can be founded.