Who are we and who are the other? Constructions of the subject “student” in Swedish policy bills

Author(s):

Maria Terning(presenting / submitting)

Conference:

ECER 2012

Network:

23. Policy Studies and Politics of Education

Format:

Paper

Session Information

23 SES 05 A, Public Debate and Education Policy

Parallel Paper Session

Time:

2012-09-19

11:00-12:30

Room:

FFL - Aula 19

Chair:

Keri Facer

Contribution

This paper views how the construction of the subject ”student” is created in two Swedish policy bills with focus on Swedish Upper Secondary School written in 1990/91 and 2008. The educational policy documents are analyzed by using a Discourse theoretical approach as formulated by Mouffe and Laclau. The theoretical and methodological tools used in the analyze are Nodal points and Chains of equivalence.

Constructions of the subject can, according to Laclau and Mouffe, be understood as part of a struggle – a social conflict – whether to gain hegemony, meaning to have “exclusive rights” to define a particular social order. Hence, the actors’ different understanding of social order implies a specific grouping in society. Group formation is included in the struggle to define the social. The understanding of the social that wins hegemony that may have an impact on different groups and their position in society.

Method

According to Mouffe, the construction of subject positions establishes distinctions which are constructed on the basis of a hierarchy. Thereby, constructions of the subject always create a “we” and a “them”. The antagonistic boundaries between these relation¬ships are also expected to show a creation of hierarchy between said created group identities which may indicate a desire for a hegemonic power.

Expected Outcomes

The analyze indicates at least two constructions of the subject “student”: in the policy bill from 1990/91 the “student” is constructed in terms of a responsible citizen with a desire to continually grow with knowledge. In the policy bill written in 2008 the “student” is instead constructed as willing to make an effort, a “student” is someone who completes a secondary education and therefore becomes employable. The analyzed policy bills thus show different construction of the subject that indicates different views about the definition of social order.

References

Laclau, Ernesto & Mouffe, Chantal (2001[1985]). Hegemony and Socialist Strategy. London/New York: Verso. Mouffe, Chantal (2005). On The Political. Great Britain: Routledge. Regeringens proposition 1990/91:85. Växa med kunskaper – om gymnasieskolan och vuxen¬utbildningen. Regeringens proposition 2008/09:199. Högre krav och kvalitet i den nya gymnasieskolan.

Author Information

Maria Terning (presenting / submitting)

Stockholm University

Department of Education

Linköping

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