The Folk High School: A Contemporary Educational Pathway for Swedish Parliamentarians?

Abstract

The aim of this study is to explore the contemporary role of the folk high school as an educational pathway for Swedish MPs. Statistics from the folk high school register at Statistics Sweden are analysed. In summary, there are still quite a large number of former folk high school participants in the Swedish parliament (27%, 2014). The MPs' folk high school participation mainly took the form of short courses. Over time, the folk high schools have increasingly come to be used by members of parties on the left of the political spectrum. The folk high schools are commonly used as meeting places during the MPs' political career, and thus not only as an educational pathway to power, as emphasised in earlier research.

Does Higher Education Matter for MPs in their Parliamentary Work? Evidence from the Swedish Parliament

“…The labour movement and an egalitarian tradition are important features of Swedish politics that have contributed to a more diversified social representation in Parliament (Broady, 1990;Nordvall & Fridolfsson, 2017). As noted above, Sweden has a fairly large percentage of legislators without a college degree in comparison to other countries, around half of whom are members of the Social Democratic Party.…”

“…The social status attached to having a higher education varies across contexts, and this variation has implications for political recruitment patterns (Nordvall & Fridolfsson, 2017). Elite universities provide an important pathway to political power in countries such as France and the United Kingdom (Bourdieu, 1996;Norris & Lovenduski, 1995).…”

“…Elite universities provide an important pathway to political power in countries such as France and the United Kingdom (Bourdieu, 1996;Norris & Lovenduski, 1995). In contrast, Sweden's historically strong labour movement and popular education, such as folk high schools, have created alternative routes into politics and contributed to making political recruitment more diversified (Broady, 1990;Nordvall & Fridolfsson, 2017). The social status of education might consequently be more ambiguous in Sweden than in other countries.…”

Welcome to the party: A frame analysis of the construction of party identities in Swedish left parties’ new-member education

“…Research on political parties and education in the Swedish political context often consider the relationship the other way around and study how educational initiatives have influenced parties by being an educational pathway to political power. Nordvall and Fridolfsson (2019) assert that, historically, Swedish parliamentarians have participated in some kind of popular education, and still do so to a high degree. Folk high schools and study circles have been central training grounds for the leaders of Swedish popular movements and such education is highlighted as an important experience for gaining influence in political bodies (Larsson 2013).…”

Folkbildning i global (o)rättvisa : Makt och motstånd i folkhögskolans internationalisering och transnationella kurser

“…Bernhard & Andersson, 2017) bland deltagarna i de allmänna kurserna som ska ge högskolebehörighet. Samtidigt kan de särskilda kurserna, exempelvis inom musik (Nylander, 2014), författarskap och journalistik (Furuland & Svedjedahl, 2006) eller politik (Nordvall & Fridolfsson, 2019) i vissa fall till och med ses som elitutbildningar för resursstarka grupper i samhället, som ofta redan har erfarenhet av högskolestudier. Ett exempel är folkhögskolans särskilda jazzutbildningar, med deltagare som till största delen består av inrikes födda, ofta yngre, män från medelklasshem och med tidigare musikstudier på högskola i bagaget (Nylander & Dalberg, 2015).…”