Varför klassiker och litteraturkanon i skolan? En studie av nutida litteraturvetenskapliga argument för litteraturens värde i relation till gymnasieskolans uppdrag

Abstract

This is an overview of scientific research from between 1991 and 2013. It is the result of a project in literary studies and didactics on undergraduate level at the University of Gothenburg. The goal is to find different kinds of arguments in contemporary literary studies for reading literary texts in the Swedish school, and for what texts to read. That is, should we read the classics or do we need to replace the classics with other literary works? The goal is a better understanding of the construction and argumentation of literary value in literary studies, an understanding that can be utilized by teachers in the subject of Swedish in their use of literature. That helps finding relevant and potential uses of literary works in the planning of courses and lessons. It is my standpoint that a teacher must have an understanding of the underlying factors behind the ways we talk about literature in order to be able to educate pupils in an informative and honest way. To make informed decisions.

The material studied in this project has been selected to construct a broad view of the part of the literary field that deals directly or indirectly with classics and canon. The literary field itself is nowadays very much diverse, and the historical accounts of literary studies are being challenged, not least by feminist literary studies. However, there is often a perceived traditional literary field, or at least a perceived debate in literary studies regarding canon and classics against which argumentations are held or constructed. And while talking about classics it seems one must be aware of the values that classified them as classics, that is, a traditional literary field. And: of the conception of a canon debate. Some of the material of this study claims to overview the literary field, or debates; some of it is aimed towards scrutinizing and deconstructing more or less established ways of evaluating and talking about literature in education or literary history. It is from th