Hur konstrueras demokratiskt deltagande i samhällskunskapsundervisning? : En kvalitativ textanalys av undervisningsmaterial

Sammanfattning

Abstract This study examines how democratic values, political participation and citizenship are constructed in social studies textbooks for upper secondary education in Sweden. The aim is to analyse how democracy is presented in teaching materials and what forms of political participation and citizenship are made visible to students. The study is based on a qualitative text analysis of four textbooks in social studies. The theoretical framework is inspired by Robert A. Dahl’s democratic theory, particularly his criteria of effective participation, political equality, enlightened understanding, control of the agenda and inclusion. The analysis is structured around five themes: participation, equality, knowledge and understanding, influence, and inclusion. The results show that democracy is mainly presented within the framework of representative democracy and established political institutions. Voting, freedom of expression, political parties, elections and opinion formation are given a central role. At the same time, some textbooks offer a broader understanding of participation by emphasizing public debate, critical reflection, media literacy and social engagement between elections. The study also shows that the citizen is primarily constructed as an informed, reflective and responsible individual. Knowledge, critical thinking and the ability to understand social issues are strongly emphasized, while more conflict-oriented or transformative forms of participation, such as activism, protest and civil disobedience, are given less space. Overall, the study concludes that the textbooks mainly reproduce an institutional and representative understanding of democracy, although some of them also open up for a broader and more inclusive view of democratic participation and citizenship.