Civic education and globalization

In preparation for the autumn term in 2011, the Swedish elementary school adopted new syllabuses regarding, inter alia, the civic education (Sw. Samhällskunskap). The civic education has traditionally been a disciplinary subject with a main purpose of mediating democratic values as well as providing generalorientation in the society. Generally, the civic education intends to reflect the world in which people live in, being a complex society which to a large extent is regularly affected by global aspects and developments. The purpose of this study is to review all the elementary school’s syllabuses relating to the civic education with specific focus on the globalisation perspective. By this study, it is my intention to review changes that continuously have been implemented in relation to the syllabuses and subject over the time. The study has been performed by applying a qualitative and quantitative analysis as to the content in the various syllabuses. The outcome of this study indicates that the civic education to a very large extent has been affected by the globalisation process. In previous syllabuses, the global perspective was primarily applied for the purpose of comparing the Swedish system with the global perspective. It is obvious that the global perspective has taken an important role in the most recently adopted syllabuses with a clear focus on how the globalisation affects various working areas and people in general. In comparison with previous syllabuses, the civic education has also grown and currently comprises of a wider range of working areas. The disciplinary purpose of the subject (as referred to above) is, however, still an important element also in relation to the most recently adopted syllabuses for the subject.