Skolan och civilsamhället. Ökad likvärdighet på (o)lika villkor?

Abstract

This thesis examines school-community partnerships in Gothenburg's primary schools. The overall aim is to analyse how schools in socially disadvantaged areas work with partnerships as the consequence of students´ low school results and social exclusion. By examining employees in the public sector and non-profit actors and their attitude to school-community partnerships it becomes clear that the need to open up the schools to the local community was important in relation to strengthening students' self esteem and participation in the majority of society. It also became clear that school-community partnerships are connected to greater issues concerning Swedish education policy and government techniques. This thesis furthermore examining discursive practices inspired from Foucault´s discourse theory and discusses the possibility of extended partnerships between the public sector, civil society and the market as a liberal model of government. In order to ensure the functioning of the economic, along with vital and social welfare practices, the government incorporates rational forms of governmentality or self-regulation. By examining school-community partnership in combination with political processes I discuss how power is separated from responsibility, and how that is reflected within the school environment.