Parents, expertise and identity work: the media conceptualised as a lifelong learning practice

Abstract

Parenting is a recurring topic in books, newspapers, magazines and TV shows in Western societies. Often it involves experts giving advice to adults. Hence, parenting is made visible, categorised, evaluated and corrected in public. Judgements on what is desirable are demonstrated, and objectives to be achieved are pointed out. In the present study, norms and claims for parenting are investigated through the discourse analysis of a Swedish TV show. Drawing upon the notions of governmentality, power/knowledge relations and subject positioning, it will be argued that regularities are displayed, negotiated and established in the dialogue; first, to make childhood experience matter, second, to expose reproductive strategies, and third, to claim identity work in parenting activities. Located in the discourse of lifelong learning, parenting may be depicted as valid knowledge and competence. Norms for what is considered skilful parenting and positive progress reveal a pattern that appears to be more or less ‘fixed’. However, the process seems mutual rather than one-sided, and, moreover, whose interest this may serve is a main theme in the concluding discussion.