A Fair (Af)fair? On Subjectivities and Stakeholding in Swedish Upper Secondary School Choice

• In Event: Educational Reform and the Problem of Subjectification: Deglobalizing the Global

Abstract

The present organization and constant reforms of public education in Sweden are underscored by a number of principles and rationalities. However, the themes identified in research as managerialism and progressivism stands out as particularly powerful and is expressed through notions of ‘accountability’ on one side and ‘A school for all’ on the other. These discursive representations (i.e. ideas and practices) has taken many forms during the last century, but they have often been described as dichotomies and incommensurable, both in public debate and in research. The present study aims to problematize the prevailing assumptions – the ‘common sense’ - and with the help of analyses from ethnographic material produced at a ‘School fair’, it will provide a more nuanced discussion where both managerialism AND progressivism are shown to share utopian expectations of education, where the future is portrayed as prosperous for the nation and for all children if specific technologies are adapted and responsibilities taken. The combination of particular ideas about the ideal child and citizen becomes intelligible under conditions where global discourses becomes intertwined and (re)formulated joined with local narratives. Certain salvation themes are highlighted in the material and its genealogy is discussed in the study with the help of theories from Michel Foucault and Jacques Rancière. Implications for the making of identities (subjectivation), the political in education and different notions of equality will also be considered.

The strong welfare state has been a hallmark for the Swedish social policy in general during, but has also played a significant role for the education policy. The modern welfare state in Sweden, often described as the utopian ‘folk-home’ (Hirdman, 1989) was built upon universalistic notions of economic transfers, social insurances and relied on Keynesian politics with full employment, social mobility and solidarity as basic foundations (Esping-Andersen, 1996). Education was considered crucial, as it reflected the social-democratic ideologies and was thought to create a more just and equal society – and economic growth. Education was presented as the vehicle for social change and the tenets of meritocracy was generally accepted (Hultqvist, 2005). However, due to economic recession and structural changes the public sector found itself under attack from both left and right in the 70’s. Critique of inefficiency caused the social democratic government to introduce market rationalities, where decentralization, school choice and competition between schools were implemented in the following years (Lundahl, 2005).

This reversal of top-down government by governance is described as particular forms of managerial steering through autonomy, responsibilization, life-long learning and comparisons. Agencies such as private, local or international ones are activated, hence the notion of governmentality reflects how new utopian configurations of knowledge and subjectivities become historically possible and demanded (Dahlstedt, 2009; Fejes, 2008).

The following paper will elaborate on how progressive/egalitarian ideals on one side and managerial discourses on the other merge, contradict and become naturalized within the educational policy context shared by science, policymakers and practitioners under the banner to ‘serve the public good’.

Author

• Martin Harling, University of Gothenburg