Clio räddar världen: En analys av argumentationen för historieämnets ställning i det svenska skolsystemet i Historielärarnas Förenings Årsskrift, 1942-2004

The aim of this thesis is to analyse and discuss the argumentation for the place of History in the Swedish school system from the perspective of education philosophy. The material that has been investigated is the Yearbook of the Association of History Teachers (HLFÅ). In connection to this, two questions have been asked: (1) What sort of argumentation has there been in HLFÅ on the place of History in the Swedish schoolsystem from the time the Yearbook started to be published in 1942 until 2004 when the Swedish parliament decided that the subject should be obligatory for all pupils in gymnasiet (senior high school)? (2) In what way has education philosophy been taken into consideration in the argumentation on the place of History in HLFÅ between 1942 and 2004? The background to these questions is partly that during the whole of the1900s it has been far from obvious what place History should have in the upper levels of the Swedish school system. Also, I have partly found it fruitful to study HLFÅ from the perspective of education philosophy. In chapter 1, we give a deeper presentation of HLFÅ. After that follows an overview of research into the teaching and learning of History (Historydidactics). The chapter ends with the three leitmotifs based on this research. I identify as leitmotifs areas that are identified clearly and repeatedly in History didactics and that are seen as relevant to structure my analysis of HLFÅ. The three leitmotifs are: (1) the relation between History and academia, (2) the social potential of History, (3) the use of History in the service of peace. These have structured the presentation in the two analysis chapters of the thesis (chapters 4 and 5).Chapter 2 discusses the thesis methodology, theoretical perspective and questions. The methodology is an analysis of argumentation based onhermeneutics. The theoretical perspectives used in the study are educationphilosophies. My use of the theory builds on my reading of TheodorBrameld and Tomas Englund. The four education philosophies used toanalyse the argumentation are: (1) progressivism, (2) essentialism, (3)perennialism, (4) reconstructivism. In chapter 3, the background to the study is presented. The areas that are focused on are the changes in theSwedish school system during the 1900s, the subject of History in figures, and glimpses from the public debate on history in general and the subject of History in Sweden. In chapter 4, we cover the period from 1942-1970, and in chapter 5 we cover in a similar way the period from 1971-2004. Both chapters begin with a chronological overview of the argumentation in the articles. After that, the material is analysed where the presentation is structured based on the three leitmotifs which are discussed from an education philosophy perspective. Chapter 6 is a summarizing discussion. There we make it clear that progressivism is almost completely absent from the argumentation around the place of History in Swedish schools in HLFÅ. Instead, the studyshows that it is a combination of essentialism and perennialism that dominates the way of maintaining the merits of History. Regarding reconstructivism, it is stated that it is subordinate to essentialism and perennialism.The study ends with suggestions for further research. Since the argumentation has consistently made the claim that History can give people a feeling of safety in their surroundings, understand their place inlife and create peace in the world, it is suggested that further analysis should be made of similar material from the perspective of civil religion.A point of departure in this research is that secular societies partly takeover, and partly re-work, the rites and cosmologies of religious institutions, in order to create solidarity in modern societies. My hypothesis is that this perspective would strengthen the thought that there are civilreligious practices on Swedish soil in connection with the education world.