Course content

The course opens for an understanding of obligations and opportunities for educational activities under changing conditions and circumstances in institutions and society. The course examines the reproductive processes in areas such as family, work, leisure and within the formal educational system. Life in kindergarten, school and education is created by actors who are there for varying periods of time, the staff as well as children, adolescents and adults. The educational activities are also impacted by political trends and movements at national as well as international level. The course examines how the actors orient themselves in this field of tension, and we investigate theoretical perspectives and empirical studies that explain how actors create understanding and organize their life, in and outside the institutions. Central to the study is to examine how institutions relate to social class and culture in general. Home, leisure and education will also be studied in the light of various theories of power. Finally, the course examines the opportunities for preparing and practicing educational activities in light of varying action theory frameworks.

Learning outcome

The purpose of the course is to develop knowledge about pedagogical processes related to tensions between structure and agency. The student will develop thorough knowledge on and theoretical insight into:

• The importance of social class and cultural differences in educational activities.
• Interaction and tensions between pedagogical activities and politics.
• How different groups of actors create understanding and organize their life, in and outside the institutions.

In addition, the student will develop skills, independency and curiosity in such manner that s/he is able to handle central concepts within the field of educational sociology in the production of text.

Learning methods and activities

The teaching is divided into lectures, seminars and supervision. Lectures, seminars and supervision can be organized in more intensive periods.

Compulsory assignments

• Oral presentation and commenting

Required previous knowledge

The same admission requirements as for the master`s program in Education or another relevant master program within the social sciences or humanities, for instance media studies or sociology. The requirement must be fullfilled to be admitted to the course.

Course materials

The required course reading material is approximately 500 pages.

Credit reductions