Abstract
ABSTRACTSince WWII, Sweden has had an international reputation for being modern and progressive, with schooling that provides equal opportunities for all children. Analysing local enactment of the national pursuit of modernisation in two contrasting municipalities, this paper offers new perspectives on Swedish education history beyond the image of schooling as a uniform national project. The concepts of technological development and internationalisation are applied to capture the ideas and visions inherent in this modernisation. The study demonstrates, through the example of the rural municipality of Tierp and the municipality of Stockholm, the complexity of the modernisation process and the interplay between divergent interpretations of national reforms and local enactment of modernisation.
Highlights
After World War II (WWII) the Nordic countries1 gained an international reputation for being among the most modern and progressive in the world
In line with social scientists’ increased interest in analyses of “space” and “place”, we argue that studies of the geographical distribution of educational resources should take account of the places where these resources are used and acted out—in this case, the municipalities
The analysis addresses how the municipality as a place for education has changed over time, as well as the kind of education offered in connection with a particular municipal vision
Summary
After World War II (WWII) the Nordic countries1 gained an international reputation for being among the most modern and progressive in the world. The present analysis is based on an extensive three-year examination of official school board and education committee minutes10 from these municipalities’ archives and databases for the period 1950–2000.11 In the case of Stockholm, annual reports published by the municipality were included.12 To capture municipal visions of the modern in terms of technological development and internationalisation,13 we searched for policy initiatives related to modern technology, international exchanges between cities and/or schools, and international student programmes.
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