Olovlig frånvaro i skolan som problem och diskurs. Rättigheter och skyldigheter i den samtida utbildningspolitiken

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the changes in law and other types of politicial regulation regarding unauthorized absence during the reformation of the Swedish school system in 2010. How was this ”new” approach on unauthorized absence established; what made it possible and which view on ”unauthorized absence” does it implicate? The study has a discourse analytic approach in which it examines central policy documents regarding the topic of inquiry. The study has found that the alliance-government’s education policy on unauthorized absence is pervaded by one hegemonic discourse termed the mono-cultural disciplinary discourse. The delineation of the discourse order also reveals a subordinated counter discourse, the rights discourse. Each discourse holds a latent construction of the unauthorized absent pupils, ”the guilty” and ”the vulnerable”, and among those who wish to get authorized absence, ”the religious” and ”the high-achievers.” The hegemonic discourse reveals a liability shift. The transformation of the axiom ”school responsibility” is a manifestation of a political shift to ”advanced liberalism” here characterized by a responsibilization of the pupils and their guardians regarding unauthorized absence as a social problem. Furthermore, this study shows that the political struggle over financial aid in high school – which discloses the ”new” view on unauthorized absence - is inextricably bound to the power struggle between the rights discourse and the mono-cultural disciplinary discourse.