Litteraturundervisningens olika skepnader
In this essay, I analyze the syllabus for Swedish with specific regard to literature teaching. I identify three different perspectives which carries seperate implications. First, a text-centered perspective, which tends to position the importance of the text as a part of a tradition. However, this seems to distance the reading from the reader, and place the importance of the reading event outside the student. The consequence might be that the student employs an instrumental reading which simply responds to a pre-set idea of meaning. Second, a method-centred perspective, which prefers a certain style of reading and interpreting the text, using a specific set of analytic instruments. Here, too, the reading might be instrumental, checking off the required aspects. But depending on pedagogical considerations, this perspective might also be grounded in the readers experience and allow meaning to stem from the readers meeting with the text. Third, a reader-centred perspective, focusing on the personal development of the student, aiming to expand his or her world view and self-knowledge, by subjecting the text to a personal understanding, situated in the readers context.
However, I discovered that while all these perspectives were represented in the syllabus, its specific criterias were leaning towards a rather text- and method-centered view, while the reader-centered aspect was subjugated in the whole. My conclusion was that this seemed to indicate a more quantitative approach regarding how the students are judged. This was problematic for, at least, two reasons: First, it risks leading to an instrumental approach among the students, distancing them from the text; and second, it does not include the entire syllabus in the grading criteria.
I conclude the essay with a discussion of different approaches regarding the possibility of including the reader-perspective in the evaluative process to a higher degree, while still following the syllabus. I suggest a view of the text as a potential, rather that a representative of a tradition, and refer to reception studies to suggest a greater focus on the ability to switch perspective and perform meta-readings. Thus the students might understand themselves as readers, and be able to relate to more personally grounded problems that stems from a singular reading within a given context.