Blir du ensam, lille vän?

Abstract

The lonely ones? Citizenship ideals in Swedish early childhood education policy. The aim of this article is to discuss the democratic function of education by exploring and comparing the citizenship ideals expressed in Swedish early childhood education policy in 1987 and 2018. The study shows that citizenship that was previously foremost emphasizing the horizontal relationship within a community has shifted towards an emphasis on the vertical relationship between the individual and the state. The ideal has thus shifted from a lived citizenship emphasizing community and belonging to citizenship as an individual status based on ownership of rights. The article concludes that the empowerment of children regarding their formal rights in a context characterized by increased focus on individual learning and freedom may contribute to reducing other aspects of democracy such as community, belonging and care, therefore significantly altering the societal task of education.