A quest for legitimacy: on the professionalization policies of Sweden’s Teachers’ Unions

In Sweden, as in many other countries, inclusion has been on the political agenda for a long time and has served as a blueprint and guiding principle for practical work in school. However, inclusive education has, by and large, been associated with special education measures, which seriously limit the chances of achieving the vision of inclusion. In this article, we analyse how the meaning of special education is constructed in policy documents from four distinct time periods of Swedish education policy from the late 1970s to 2014. The paper draws on an approach to scrutinise the process of problematisation in public policymaking. Based on the analysis, we argue that there are prospects of a hegemonic intervention regarding the meaning of special education during later years in Swedish education policy, emphasising an individual perspective and individual deficiencies. In contrast to inclusive ambitions, this perspective advocate segregated support measures. Finally, based on previous research and tendencies within the field, we present arguments in the concluding discussion why this hegemonic intervention in education policy also might attract the support of school personnel at the local school level and some potential consequences of the expansion of special education in Sweden.

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“…Lilja 2014). It goes without saying that this might have further negative consequences based on what has been described above.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

What is the meaning of special education? Problem representations in Swedish policy documents: late 1970s–2014

Isaksson

Lindqvist

2014

European Journal of Special Needs Education

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“…Moreover, recent reforms within the Swedish teaching profession have contributed to increased stratification. In 2011, teacher certification was implemented, creating a differentiation between teachers with appropriate educational background and those lacking (Lilja 2013). Furthermore, the so-called 'first teacher reform', initiated in 2015, seeks to identify and reward elite teachers.…”

Section: Trend 2: Increasing Professional Stratificationmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Professional Landscape: Entangled Institutional Logics in Two Swedish Welfare Professions

Alvehus

Andersson

2018

NJWLS

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Previous research has made three parallel but incompatible observations on the contemporary development of welfare professions: loss of professional autonomy, hybridization, and maintained autonomy. Yet, research providing contextual understanding of the simultaneous occurrence of these three observations is lacking. The aim of this theoretical paper is to identify and explain seemingly contradictory coexisting features of modern welfare professions through a comprehensive reading of current literature on the health care and teaching professions in Sweden. The literature has demonstrated entangled institutional logics, in which simultaneous but differing effects occur, thereby developing a new professional landscape.

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“…It may be argued that there are similarities in how Sweden and its Nordic neighbours are viewed as socially just societies possessing education systems that strongly aim to promote welfare and equality (Lappalainen and Lahelma 2016;Lilja 2014). However, this 'Nordic model' is far from a static entity.…”

Section: Reflections On Juridification Beyond Swedenmentioning

confidence: 99%

A conceptual framework for understanding juridification of and in education

Rosén

Arneback

Bergh

2020

Journal of Education Policy

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The legal framing of national education systems has been subject to substantial change in the past decade, especially in Nordic countries. Earlier research has called for better understanding of the implications of these changes which, in turn, points to a need for conceptual development. With an emphasis on legal and education scholarly work, this article explores concepts for further research on juridification in relation to education. This is done through an abductive process of inquiry, in which interpretations of the concept of juridification developed in previous research are explored in relation to changes in Swedish education policy on the area of equal treatment. We distinguish conceptually between juridification of and in education and propose a conceptual framework based on six dimensions of juridification, contributing to a view of policy as both formally regulated and enacted by education actors at different levels. This conceptual framework opens up new directions for further research in different areas and contexts.

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A quest for legitimacy: on the professionalization policies of Sweden’s Teachers’ Unions

Cited by 18 publications

References 28 publications

What is the meaning of special education? Problem representations in Swedish policy documents: late 1970s–2014

What is the meaning of special education? Problem representations in Swedish policy documents: late 1970s–2014

A New Professional Landscape: Entangled Institutional Logics in Two Swedish Welfare Professions

A conceptual framework for understanding juridification of and in education

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