Identitet, förståelse och den existentiella dimensionen
- en studie om hur religionens roll framställs i styrdokumenten för gymnasiets religionskunskapsämne
Today Sweden is both a secular and multi-religious country, of which Christianity historically has been a dominant player. Both processes of individualization and migration have contributed to a changed religious character as the current Swedish social situation represents. An interesting question to consider is how the Swedish school system has been able to adapt to the changed religious climate. This study examines the policy documents for religious education produced for upper secondary school, to see how the role of religion in the processes of individualization and migration, and the changes that these processes have brought the role of religion in today?s society as a whole, are described within them. Based on a deductive approach an ideological text analysis is performed by constructing categorizations based on two different theories which reflect the two different processes. The process of individualization is represented by Anthony Giddens?s theory of reflexive self-identity in the late modern age. The process of migration is represented by Stuart Hall?s theory of cultural identity.This study shows that the role of religion in today?s society in the policy documents largely is portrayed as one tool among many others that can help shape an identity. Identity formation is something that students need knowledge of according to the policy documents in order to develop an understanding and respect for others in the current multicultural and multi-religious society. The study also shows that religion is considered to be something private, which complicates intercultural understanding as religious education takes the form of knowledge about and not personal knowledge of. From this theoretical perspective, the policy documents formulations of Christianity?s special role is also problematic in the multi-religious landscape.