Bland protagonister och antagonister i ämnesplanerna för Gy 11. En jämförande rollanalys av gymnasiegemensamma och estetiska ämnen med teater i förgrunden

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate how the aesthetic, non-compulsory subject Theater, is being presented in the Swedish National Agency for Education's steering documents (Skolverket, 2011), compared to the aesthetic, non-compulsory subjects Music and Art and to the compulsory upper secondary school subjects, formerly called "core subjects", English, History, Physical Education and Health, Mathematics, Science Studies, Religion, Civics and Swedish. This study aims to observe and clarify the Swedish National Agency for Education's character drawing of the various subjects. Two questions serve as guiding light in this examination: Which role does Theater play in the Swedish National Agency for Education's steering document? Is there any difference between how aesthetic subjects, compared to compulsory subjects, are being presented in the Swedish National Agency for Education's steering document and, if so, in what does this difference consist? This is a mixed method study containing both quantitative and qualitative elements. The empiric data was collected through counting action verbs in the Subject Plans for Gy 11, i.e the Swedish National Agency for Education's steering documents (Skolverket, 2011). As instrument for the investigation was chosen parts of Rudolf Penka's methodology for play and character analysis (Reims, 1995), more specifically the part of the method focused on identifying active verbs in scripts. The National Agency for Education here becomes the playwright, the steering documents are considered the script and the role characters are English, History, Physical Education and Health, Mathematics, Science Studies, Religion, Civics, Swedish, Theater, Music and Art. The study reveals Theater reduced into being more about pure form and technical equipment than about the role as observer and mirror of society and of human conditions. Among the aesthetic subjects, Music is portrayed in the most defined and nuanced way whilst Art shows the biggest potential for advancing into rebecoming a compulsory subject.