Samhällskunskap - ett ämne i tiden?
En studie av globaliseringens inverkan på samhällskunskapen
In preparation for the autumn term in 2011, the Swedish elementary school adopted newsyllabuses regarding,inter alia, the civic education (Sw. Samhällskunskap). The civiceducation has traditionally been a disciplinary subject with a main purpose of mediatingdemocratic values as well as providing general orientation in the society. Generally, the civiceducation intends to reflect the world in which people live in, being a complex society whichto a large extent is regularly affected by global aspects and developments.The purpose of this study is to review all the elementary school?s syllabuses relating to thecivic education with specific focus on the globalisation perspective. By this study, it is myintention to review changes that continuously have been implemented in relation to thesyllabuses and subject over the time. The study has been performed by applying a qualitativeand quantitative analysis as to the content in the various syllabuses.The outcome of this study indicates that the civic education to a very large extent has beenaffected by the globalisation process. In previous syllabuses, the global perspective wasprimarily applied for the purpose of comparing the Swedish system with the globalperspective. It is obvious that the global perspective has taken an important role in the mostrecently adopted syllabuses with a clear focus on how the globalisation affects variousworking areas and people in general. In comparison with previous syllabuses, the civiceducation has also grown and currently comprises of a wider range of working areas. Thedisciplinary purpose of the subject (as referred to above) is, however, still an importantelement also in relation to the most recently adopted syllabuses for the subject.