Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919
Narratives of Nordic pre-history are common in textbooks of the Swedish 'folk school'. This thesis discusses them from an ideological critical perspective and analyses them as textbook myths. This analytic concept of myth is constructed and used as a tool for studying ideological expressio...
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Format: | Doctoral Thesis |
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Uppsala universitet, Teologiska institutionen
2008
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Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-9196 http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:isbn:978-91-506-2020-7 |
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ndltd-UPSALLA1-oai-DiVA.org-uu-91962014-02-11T04:50:31ZVåra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919sweWickström, JohanUppsala universitet, Teologiska institutionenUppsala : Teologiska institutionen2008use of historymythmythologyOld Norse religionpre-historyethnicitynationalismclassOld Icelandiceducational historytextbooksschooldidacticsAntonio GramsciBruce Lincolnintellectualshistory of religionsclassificationhierarchyideologyHistory of religionReligionshistoriaNarratives of Nordic pre-history are common in textbooks of the Swedish 'folk school'. This thesis discusses them from an ideological critical perspective and analyses them as textbook myths. This analytic concept of myth is constructed and used as a tool for studying ideological expressions in pedagogical texts. It is compatible with a historical materialist, social constructivist and Gramsci inspired perspective towards folk schooling and can handle questions of selection and re-organisation of ancient narrative material. The study shows how a paternalistic ethnic ideology which showed the pupils how their ancestors immigrated and set up society and order is replaced by nationalistic myths where the Swedes are projected on the totality of the past. Idealisation of farmers and expressions that neutralise poverty and legitimates subordination are used continuously throughout the study period. After 1868 a national folk concept is established. Textbook myths with a euhemeristic portrayal of civilisation are replaced by other scientific ways of handling pre-historic religions including elements from nature mythology and evolutionary theory. The myths handle religions both through Christian polemics and theological projections. The results of the analyses are interpreted in the light of the contemporary socio-economic changes where a feudal agrarian society's principles for classifications and hierarchies are challenged and broken by the principles of a class society with a nationalistic ideology. In the concluding chapters the myths are discussed and interpreted in relation to curriculum codes and in a Gramsci inspired perspective as expressions of a passive bourgeois revolution, where intellectuals of the middle class conquered the school and the textbook myths by making alliances with the farming class and trying to neutralise the poor and the working class. The thesis contributes to research in the use of history, representation in pedagogical texts and to research in nationalism. Doctoral thesis, monographinfo:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesistexthttp://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-9196urn:isbn:978-91-506-2020-7Religionshistoriska forskningsrapporter från Uppsala : Uppsala research reports in the history of religions, 1103-811X ; 19application/pdfinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
collection |
NDLTD |
language |
Swedish |
format |
Doctoral Thesis |
sources |
NDLTD |
topic |
use of history myth mythology Old Norse religion pre-history ethnicity nationalism class Old Icelandic educational history textbooks school didactics Antonio Gramsci Bruce Lincoln intellectuals history of religions classification hierarchy ideology History of religion Religionshistoria |
spellingShingle |
use of history myth mythology Old Norse religion pre-history ethnicity nationalism class Old Icelandic educational history textbooks school didactics Antonio Gramsci Bruce Lincoln intellectuals history of religions classification hierarchy ideology History of religion Religionshistoria Wickström, Johan Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
description |
Narratives of Nordic pre-history are common in textbooks of the Swedish 'folk school'. This thesis discusses them from an ideological critical perspective and analyses them as textbook myths. This analytic concept of myth is constructed and used as a tool for studying ideological expressions in pedagogical texts. It is compatible with a historical materialist, social constructivist and Gramsci inspired perspective towards folk schooling and can handle questions of selection and re-organisation of ancient narrative material. The study shows how a paternalistic ethnic ideology which showed the pupils how their ancestors immigrated and set up society and order is replaced by nationalistic myths where the Swedes are projected on the totality of the past. Idealisation of farmers and expressions that neutralise poverty and legitimates subordination are used continuously throughout the study period. After 1868 a national folk concept is established. Textbook myths with a euhemeristic portrayal of civilisation are replaced by other scientific ways of handling pre-historic religions including elements from nature mythology and evolutionary theory. The myths handle religions both through Christian polemics and theological projections. The results of the analyses are interpreted in the light of the contemporary socio-economic changes where a feudal agrarian society's principles for classifications and hierarchies are challenged and broken by the principles of a class society with a nationalistic ideology. In the concluding chapters the myths are discussed and interpreted in relation to curriculum codes and in a Gramsci inspired perspective as expressions of a passive bourgeois revolution, where intellectuals of the middle class conquered the school and the textbook myths by making alliances with the farming class and trying to neutralise the poor and the working class. The thesis contributes to research in the use of history, representation in pedagogical texts and to research in nationalism. |
author |
Wickström, Johan |
author_facet |
Wickström, Johan |
author_sort |
Wickström, Johan |
title |
Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
title_short |
Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
title_full |
Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
title_fullStr |
Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
title_full_unstemmed |
Våra förfäder var hedningar : Nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
title_sort |
våra förfäder var hedningar : nordisk forntid som myt i den svenska folkskolans pedagogiska texter fram till år 1919 |
publisher |
Uppsala universitet, Teologiska institutionen |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-9196 http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:isbn:978-91-506-2020-7 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT wickstromjohan varaforfadervarhedningarnordiskforntidsommytidensvenskafolkskolanspedagogiskatexterframtillar1919 |
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1716637147798175744 |