Barns relationer till djur

The main scope of this essay is to explore what children in a primary school class think and feel on the subject of animals. The method and theory used for this analysis is based on phenomenology. The first part of the essay consists of a theoretical background, where existing research on how animals can be of great advantage in health care, rehab and schools is presented. This research shows, among other things, that dogs can help people with serious illnesses to feel better, both mentally and physically. It has also been established that dogs can have a positive effect on children with learning problems or concentration difficulties at school. Research has also shown that children who are used to being around animals tend to have a higher empathy score in these tests.The background also contains information on Swedish school regulations, and how these regulations can be said to support the use of animals in the Swedish school system.The second part of the essay explains the method used in the analysis. It provides a theoretical background to phenomenology, and clarifies how the two different parts of the classroom survey were conducted. First the children were asked to draw an animal, without any further restrictions. The drawing session was then followed up by personal interviews with the children, in which they were asked to speak freely about what the animals in the drawings meant to them. From these interviews four distinct themes emerged: Love and feelings towards the animals, Friendship and activity, Patience, and the Development of relationships. These themes are then explored further, through direct quotes made by the children, in four following parts, and in the concluding discussion.Validerat; 20150506 (vith