‘Folkbildning’ through hip-hop: how the ideals of three rappers parallel a Scandinavian educational tradition

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to show how the rappers' talk about hip-hop and its connection to pedagogy and social activism parallel the Scandinavian tradition of folkbildning. Scandinavian folkbildning can be seen as a movement to provide voluntary education for the general population. It can also be the name of the process of learning in which self-education is an important dimension. There has been an educational component to hip-hop culture since hip-hop was placed on the map as a vibrant subculture during the 1970s in New York City. In the same way as the Swedish working class once found a way out of their marginal position through folkbildning, today's immigrant youth, ‘new Swedes’ access Swedish society by articulating their position through hip-hop. In this article, interviews have been conducted with three rappers who follow the pedagogical way presented in hip-hop. Although, semi-structured and conversational, there was a clear focus on hip-hop and learning in the discussions. Each interview lasted for approximately one hour and was subsequently transcribed. The quotes of the rappers have been analysed and categorised into four themes. These themes are hip-hop as a political tool, marginalisation and exclusion, a voice for the weak, and the power of knowledge. The results show that the rappers can be seen as both culturally radical and culturally conservative, which is in line with the old tradition of Scandinavian folkbildning. The work of the rappers might be seen as not only as a barometer of our time and development of society in general, but also as a well-established practice of musical learning outside school. Finally, hip-hop has the potential to contribute valuable knowledge to teachers implementing what might be described as out-of-school musical activities in school.