High ceilings and thick walls : Björnstad and Tusen gånger starkare in the upper secondary school's core values

The aim of the study is to investigate how fiction can serve as a starting point for basic work. The purpose is realized by: How is identity constructed from an intersectional perspective within the framework of the hockey and school culture in Björnstad and Tusen gånger starkare? How can the novels be linked to and used in the Swedish Foundation's core work? The books analyzed are Björnstad (2016) by Fredrik Backman and Tusen gånger starkare (2006) by Christina Herrström. The analysis of the work is done after careful reading and in the light of theories of identity and intersectional perspective. The most important conclusions from the result are that young people are affected by strong social norms, as norm overruns risk being excluded. The text examples show that it is possible but difficult for young people to change their identity in school and hockey's discourse. In the discussion, a reasoning is taken over how the novels' content can be used in teaching to learn basic values, such as equality. Book conversations, thematic teaching and dramatization are highlighted as possible ways of working