The research topic focuses the Swedish preschool. This presentation will show a part of the analysis from my dissertation project in progress, focusing on written stories from the hashtag #pressatläge in social media. The hashtag is used to post small stories about the current working situation in the Swedish preschool. The empirical data consists of a sample of 20 stories from a total of 600 stories averaging 300-400 words. The aim with this presentation is to show some glimpses of the Swedish preschool as shown in #pressatläge when analyzed as institutional narratives. 

Analyses of the data will rely on Linde’s (2009) theory of institutional narratives. Institutional narratives constitute versions of a canon of stories about an institution, in this project about the Swedish preschool. I have searched for stories in the data that can be considered to be more influential than others. Such stories are well known and are often retold by different preschool teachers, on different occasions and in somewhat similar words, thereby shaping an institutional narrative.  

Preliminary results from the analysis show one of several possible institutional narrative about increased demands in the preschool. These increased demands hold aspects of policy changes; increased size of groups of children and versions of how several actors, like politicians and childrens’ guardians, affect the preschool’s work. Further, the institutional narratives will be analyzed by investigating how the preschool teachers use these narratives to position themselves and construct their professional identity. For example, how the increased demands in the preschool affect the preschool teachers, who feel that they lack prerequisites to fulfil their mission. Instead, some preschool teachers choose to leave their work.

This presentation is highly relevant to Nordic educational research. The preschool context is quite similar in the Nordic countries and the findings from the study may therefore be useful in Nordic research about preschool. 

Linde, C. (2009). Working the past: narrative and institutional memory. Oxford University Press.