Diskurser om barn i Rammeplanene for barnehager: 1996,2006 og 2017.

The main theme of this assignment is how the view of children is in “the Norwegian framework plans for the content and tasks of kindergartens” from 1996, 2006 and 2017. The problem statement of the assignment is as follows: «What discourses about children dominate the Framework Plan for kindergartens from 1996, 2006 and 2017? » To illustrate this I have done a critical discourse analysis based on Norman Fairclough's analytical discourse model. Discourse analysis aims at investigating change and power relations. I want to investigate if there has been any change in the view of children from the first to the last framework plan for kindergartens. My data is based on the framework plans for kindergartens from 1996 and 2006 and the consultation draft for the kindergarten framework plan published in October 2016. The new framework plan was completed and comes into effect on 1 August 2017. Thus, some changes have been made to this framework plan from October 2016 until the release date. These are not taken into account in my analysis. The study shows that we do not see the children as vulnerable and helpless anymore, as we have done in the past. This view has been replaced by two main discourses. The main discourses I have chosen to call "the competent child" and "the child as a future adult". The discourse "the competent child" is based on the Children's Convention and encourages child involvement in decision-making processes in kindergarten. The discourse «The child as a future adult» is based on a marked discourse. The child is an investment that needs to be developed for proper return of value. During the main discourse there are several sub-discourses that support these views on children. There are several part discourses that are divided into seven categories: children as citizens, the contributing child, childhood function, children's mental health, the learning child, a multicultural childhood and children in the face of a digital world. These categories aim to organize the findings in such a way that it supports the diversity of topics within the two main categories. The linguistic change in the framework plans for kindergartens has also led to a shift in which the distribution of power between state and preschool teachers has transferred to the state's benefit. This has happened through micro-technologies such as inclusion and exclusion mechanisms. This means that the choice of words, sentences, and focus the state has chosen to bring along from the first, to the last framework plans for kindergartens has a big significance for the power distribution between state and kindergarten. I think the purpose of this shift in power is to create similar practices among kindergartens. My findings show that there has been a development in the view of children through the framework plans for kindergartens. I hope my research can contribute to the attention of which direction we are heading, so that we can choose the right focus point on the way forward in the development of kindergartens