Teachers’ Rights-Teaching Mentalities—What Teachers Do and Why

Abstract

Framed by a Foucauldian governmentality perspective, this article shows teachers' different rights-teaching mentalities active in human rights education for children. The article draws on observation and interview data from fieldwork in three Year 1 classes in Swedish primary schools. In the holistic approach adopted, rights-learning is understood as learning about human rights as well as developing rights-conscious values and behaviours for human rights. This is enacted through human rights. Six rights-teaching mentalities were identified: Competent children learn rights from each other; Equal value in focus; Participation is a right; Respect is essential; Adult voices and interpretations are superior; and Competence and maturity determine access to rights. The analysis shows how the different rights-teaching mentalities support different forms of rights-learning.