Abstract
<span>Around the time of 1998 a number of articles about the situation of the educational system appeared in the daily Swedish press. A large proportion of the articles (concerned with science journalism as well as general debate and narratives) centered on children with the neuro‐psychiatric diagnoses DAMP, AHDH, Tourettes or Aspergers Syndrome. The occurrence could be described as a launch or a campaign in favour of a medical perspective on children's problems. This article is attempting to give some explanations to the large amount of attention given to these diagnoses. The rhetorical forms used to convince readers of the accuracy and humanity of diagnosing children are also analysed. Special emphasis is placed on the commercial terms that journalism operates under, and on its tradition as an educator. We can see, on the whole, that medicine, journalism and parents’ testimonies tell the same story. The material represents a wide consensus relating to the question of how diagnostics and the importance of placing these children into special areas are viewed. The study has been carried out within the framework of a social‐constructivist perspective.</span>
Highlights
In the period of 1997-99 a large number of articles about the problems of the educational system flourished in the Swedish daily press
A large proportion of these were about children with neuropsychiatric problems - about the diagnoses of DAMP, ADHD, Asperger's - and Tourette's Syndromes
Society and social problems are explained with reference to conditions of nature, which, is not the only conceivable order of things (Callon & Latour 1992; Latour 1992; Woolgar 1992)
Summary
In the period of 1997-99 a large number of articles about the problems of the educational system flourished in the Swedish daily press.
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