Stormaktsperspektiv: En analys av flerperspektivitet i historieläroböcker för gymnasieskolan
2023 (Swedish)Independent thesis Advanced level (professional degree), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesisAlternative title
Great Power Perspectives : An analysis of multiperspectivity in history textbooks for upper secondary school (English)
Abstract [en]
The topic of this study is multiperspectivity, a concept in history didactics denoting a way and predisposition to view history through many different perspectives, with regards to, among other things, historical people, events, and historiography. Using multiperspectivity in history education not only reveals the varied ways in which history is constructed, but also exposes the history of peoples previously marginalized in historical narratives, such as women, children, the poor, and various ethnic groups.
Using a content analysis and coding scheme, the study examines the representtation of the era of the Swedish empire in five history textbooks for upper secondary school in Sweden. Textbooks are an important part of teaching, and as research material they can provide insight into how a given subject may be represented, which in turn makes it possible to analyse the implications of that representation.
The study finds that the textbooks varied considerably regarding their multiperspectivity. Some included the perspectives of peasants, women, immigration, and the effects of religion on society, while others did not, and were instead noticeably more limited in their perspectivity. All textbooks did however focus heavily on military and political matters. The various wars Sweden was engaged in, as well as the kings – particularly Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII – receive most attention throughout the texts, while other perspectives are, more or less depending on the textbook, given far less attention. Furthermore, the texts themselves are most often framed as a narrative of the rise and fall of an empire.
These findings are in many ways congruent with previous research on history textbooks, and together with previous research on multiperspectivity, the study shows the complexity of applying this concept to history education.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2023. , p. 36
Keywords [en]
multiperspectivity, content analysis, history textbooks, history didactics, education, upper secondary school, Swedish empire
National Category
History
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-96073OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-96073DiVA, id: diva2:1781447
Subject / course
History
Educational program
Secondary Education Programme: Upper-Secondary School: History (300 ECTS credits)
Supervisors
Examiners
2023-10-252023-07-092024-03-01Bibliographically approved