Dolda ideologier i undervisningen : En textanalys av hur samhällsekonomi förklaras i läroböcker för gymnasiet

Sammanfattning

As teachers in social studies, it is essential to present different perspectives on how economic structures and ideas can be understood. However, studies show that textbooks tend to give biased descriptions of economics. Research also shows that social study teachers feel dependent on textbooks to teach economics, which makes it important that textbooks present different perspectives through which students can understand economics. This study examines chapters on economics through an ideological perspective in textbooks created for vocational and academic tracks in Swedish upper-secondary schools. My research questions are as follows: “How are national economic conditions and key terms described in the textbooks?”, “What ideological traits are revealed?” and “What similarities and differences appear between textbooks created for different groups of students?” To answer these research questions, I conduct a descriptive textual analysis where I examine six textbooks through value- and descriptive statements and ideal types created of liberalism, socialism, and ecologism. I conclude that textbooks describe the free market as a natural part of economic systems, that welfare should be distributed between individuals, and that the state should actively control the labor market. I also conclude that liberalism and socialism are highly influential on the textbooks' descriptions and that few ideas are influenced by ecologism. My research gives teachers insights into how ideological ideas can influence Swedish textbooks, emphasizing that textbooks are influenced by multiple ideologies rather than one.