Föreställningar om barn inom I Ur och Skur - en idé- och ideologi analys

Sweden is currently a country in which a large amount of children’s time has changed to be spent within institutions, for small children these institutions are preschools. These are places where notions are created regarding what children are, what’s good for children, what’s normal and desirable regarding children. The purpose of this study has been to decipher what’s considered desirable and what notions or ideas regarding children are prevalent in preschools with an I Ur och Skur profile. Preschools with this profile are characterized by a focus on spending time outside all year round and learning by experiencing. An analysis of the homepage of Friluftsfrämjandet has been made, a site representative of I Ur och Skur, in order to discover what notions regarding children could be found and what they meant. The results were that the children of I Ur och Skur are viewed as competent, natural beings and that outdoor learning is seen as very beneficial to children. Notions regarding children spending time outside were that it corresponded to children’s natural ways. It’s seen as good for the children right here and now and it’s thought to lead to that the children when grown up would be knowledgeable in environmental issues and that they would have developed an interest in outdoor activities and the health benefits of it. The focus on nature and being a part of it should aid the children in distancing themselves from what’s seen as corrupt in modern society and effect of it which are seen as bad for children. A great trust seems to be placed in children’s competence and their competence is viewed in relation to the focus on the outdoor activities. It is seen as desirable that the children are active and knowledgeable in the outdoors, that they display an interest in learning in nature and carry their acquired values into their adult life. Nature and children’s relations to the outdoors hold a great cultural meaning in Sweden and that reflects on the preschools of Sweden, especially those with an I Ur och Skur profile