Framtidens demokratiska medborgare : Om ungdomar, medborgarskap och demokratifostran i svensk skola

Sammanfattning: This thesis attempts to deepen our understanding of the democratic assignment for Swedish schools. The school is a public space that all children and youth are a part of which gives it a prominent opportunity for fostering democratic citizens of the future. The purpose of the study is to increase the knowledge of this assignment, based on the students’ stories of how they experience it. The theoretical framework draws upon a spatial perspective and educational theory inspired by a radical view of democracy. A multiple case study was conducted based on three cases, chosen in order to achieve socioeconomic variation. A mixed method approach has been applied to the study: interviews, observations, documents and quantitative data have been analyzed using a thematic analysis framework. The results show that the democratic assignment of schools is complex and filled with legal, social, ideological, and ethical tensions. For the purpose of creating a school environment that meets the democratic assignment, systematic work and guidelines for school personnel, students, and parents appear to be necessary. The study has clearly shown that the conditions for the democratic assignment may differ markedly between schools and that peer socialization is of great importance for the outcome. The influence and potential of diversity on the democratic assignment of schools is clear. From a curriculum micro perspective, the study has brought attention to how the view of the (non-)competent student is relevant for the democratic assignment, as well as the bases on which this notion of (non-)competence rest. It is suggested that the view of the democratic assignment is extended, from a narrow focus on democratic decision-making processes to a wider focus that also takes into account the ongoing everyday negotiation processes between teachers and students that have impact on what is perceived as political action and democratic arenas.