Traditionally, the teacher body is disregarded in the educational field. This is because of traditional Western ideologies within which hierarchical dichotomies such as mind/body, matter/discourse, and theory/practice are maintained. In this study, I investigate discourse in four Swedish teacher’s manuals on norm-critical pedagogy. Proceeding from postconstructionist and feminist corpomaterialist perspectives, I research how the manuals maintain and/or challenge the traditional ways of knowledge production concerning the teacher. More specifically, I analyse how the manuals address the teacher body and how they challenge and/or reproduce the idea of ‘a bodiless teacher’. Proceeding from Critical Discourse Analysis by Norman Fairclough, postconstructionism, feminist corpomaterialism, and Guattarian and Deleuzian philosophy of affects, I look at the linguistic, discursive, and social practices of the manuals. In addition, I contribute to the discussion from my experiences as a teacher educator and educational material creator in questions related to equality and inclusion.  I argue that the manuals mainly maintain the traditional ways of knowledge production concerning the teacher by depicting the teacher as ‘bodiless’. This is done by disregarding the teacher body and addressing it as static. Nevertheless, the manuals challenge the idea of ‘a bodiless teacher’ in part. This is done by addressing the teacher body as being in composition with time, space, matter, and power (i.e., created in affective forces). Overall, the idea of ‘a bodiless teacher’ is maintained to a larger extent than it is challenged. As I understand discourse as both constituted and constituting, I claim that the manuals take part in the current discourse around the teacher, and adhere to the idea that there is no room for the teacher body and its inevitable parts (such as emotions, feelings, passion) in an educational context.

Syftet med arbetet är att undersöka ett normkritiskt förhållningssätt till lärande samt lärares syn på normer och värden. Arbetet undersöker även lärares syn på möjligheter och utmaningar med normkritik i undervisningen samt hur de implementerar perspektivet i sin planering och undervisning. Explicita metoder och strategier som lärare använder sig av undersöks och påvisas i studien. Metoder som används är en enkätundersökning och semistrukturerade intervjuer som utgår från en fenomenografisk metodologi. Teorier som analysen utgår från är ett sociokulturellt perspektiv och ett normkritiskt perspektiv samt från läroplanen och skollagen. Resultatet som framkom är främst att ett normkritiskt förhållningssätt i undervisningen ofta bygger på egna värderingar och uppfattningar om moral samt på en viss koppling till läroplanens uppdrag och skrivningar kring normer. Lärare ser stora möjligheter i att arbeta normkritiskt i grundskolans flesta ämnen och inom merparten av samhällskunskapens områden. De poängterar vikten av ett övergripande och långsiktigt arbete samt att diskutera normer och normkritik med elever, att bygga på deras egna erfarenheter samt koppla det till elevernas vardag och exempel de kan identifiera sig i. Resultatet stämmer väl överens med tidigare forskning och litteratur. / The purpose of this work is to investigate a norm-critical approach to learning as well as teachers’ views when it comes to norms and values. This work also investigates teachers’ views on possibilities and challenges with norm-critical perspectives, as well as how they implement the perspectives in planning and teaching. Explicit methods and strategies teachers use are investigated and demonstrated in the study.  The methods used are surveys and semi-structured interviews based on a phenomenographic methodology. The analysis is based on theories about a socio-cultural perspective and a norm critical perspective, as well as the curriculum and the education act.  The result shows that a norm-critical approach in education often is based on the teacher’s own values and sense of moral, as well as connected to the curriculum mission and its writings about norms. Teachers are seeing large possibilities when it comes to working with a norm-critical approach in most of the compulsory schools' subjects, and mostly in the different civics’ subjects. They value a general and long-term work and discussions about values and norm-critical thinking with pupils, to build on their experiences as well as connecting to the pupils’ everyday life and to use examples as they can identify with. The results agree well with prior research and literature.

The purpose of this study is to examine how social studies teachers deal with issues related to norm-critical aspects in the classroom and what opportunities and challenges teachers experience with this approach. The paper also examines what it means to implement a norm-critical perspective in the social studies classroom. In addition, it explains a range of norm-critical strategies that teachers use. The research and literature selected for the thesis addresses the subject of social studies, the curriculum and syllabus, norms and values, the pedagogy of tolerance, norm-critical pedagogy, and the didactics of social studies. There is little research on norm critique and, in particularly, norm critique as it relates to social studies for grades 4-6, which reinforced the relevance of examining the purpose of this study.  The theoretical perspective used to analyze the empirics of the work is Vygotsky's sociocultural perspective. The method used to investigate the purpose and questions of the work are qualitative semi-structured interviews. Six people participated in the interview, all of them working as social studies teachers in grades 4-6. The result shows that a norm-critical approach is to countering discrimination and violations by promoting normative diversity. It appears that teachers do not value the curriculum and syllabus in terms of a norm critical approach, but rather draw from their own experiences and values in terms of working with norm-criticism, norms, and values. Furthermore, the results show that teachers see several opportunities in norm critical pedagogy and challenges in this work. They believe that norm critique is relevant in the social studies subject because it offers opportunities to provide students with foundational knowledge and understanding of norms in order to develop their critical thinking. It also seems that a norm-critical approach is relevant to the values-based mission because it helps foster democratic citizens who have respect for their fellow human beings. / Examenarbetets syfte är att undersöka hur lärare inom samhällskunskapen behandlar frågor gällande normkritiska aspekter i undervisningen. Syftet är även att synliggöra de möjligheter och utmaningar lärare ser med ett normkritiskt förhållningssätt. Arbetet undersöker även vad det innebär att implementera perspektivet i samhällskunskapsundervisningen och skolverksamheten i sin helhet. Dessutom redogörs det för ett antal normkritiska strategier som lärare använder sig av. Den valda forskningen och litteraturen för examensarbetet behandlar ämnet samhällskunskap, styrdokument, normer och värden, toleranspedagogik, normkritisk pedagogik och samhällskunskapsdidaktik. Det finns lite forskning gällande normkritik och särskilt normkritik kopplat till samhällskunskap för årskurs 4–6, vilket stärkt relevansen gällande att undersöka examensarbetets syfte.  Det teoretiska perspektivet som har använts för att analysera examenarbetets empiri är Vygotskijs sociokulturella perspektiv. Metoden som användes för att undersöka arbetets syfte och frågeställningar är kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer. Sex respondenter deltog i undersökningen och samtliga är verksamma som samhällskunskapslärare i årskurs 4–6. Resultatet som framkommer är att innebörden av ett normkritiskt förhållningssätt är att motverka diskriminering och kränkningar genom att främja en normmässig mångfald. Det framkommer att lärarna inte lägger någon vikt vid styrdokumenten gällande ett normkritiskt förhållningsätt utan de utgår ifrån sina egna erfarenheter och värderingar gällande arbetet med normkritik, normer och värden. Vidare visar resultatet att lärare ser ett antal möjligheter med en normkritisk pedagogik och utmaningar med arbetet. De anser att normkritik är relevant i samhällskunskapsämnet då det ger tillfällen, att ge elever grundläggande kunskaper och förståelser för normer för att vidareutveckla deras kritiska tänkande. Det framkommer även, att ett normkritiskt förhållningssätt är relevant för värdegrundsuppdraget då det bidrar till att fostra demokratiska medborgare som hyser respekt för sina medmänniskor.

Denna kvalitativa fallstudie är gjord i egenskap av ett examensarbete på kandidatnivå i Informationsdesign med inriktning mot textdesign. Syftet med studien är att analysera informationstext ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv för att få kunskap om hur texten kan påverkas av de samhällsenliga normer som återspeglas i dess stil och språkbruk. Målet är att använda kunskapen för att bilda ett designkoncept kring hur vi kan skapa en informationstext som inte missgynnar människor ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv. Målet med designkonceptet är även att diskutera om det är möjligt att skapa en sådan informationstext. I studien framgick det att könskonstruktioner påverkar genomgripande aspekter i en informativ text, som stil och språkbruk och att detta kan påverka läsarnas uppfattning om texten. / This is a qualitative case study qua a thesis equal to a bachelor degree in Information design with orientation towards text design. The purpose of the study is to analyze an informational text with a norm critical perspective to gain knowledge on how the text can be affected by the social according norms reflected in its style and parlance. The goal is to use the knowledge gained to form a design concept around how we can create an informational text which does not disfavor humans from a norm critical viewpoint. The goal with the design concept is further to discuss if it’s manageable to create such an information text at all. It’s showed in the study that gender constructions pervasively affect aspects in an informational text, such as style and parlance, and that this can lead the readers to perceive the text in different ways.

The study aims to examine how three books written for teenagers and young adults address topics that are generally considered as deviant to social norms in order to conclude if they can contribute to a norm critical pedagogy in school. Norm critical pedagogy is foremost based on gender- and queer theory and tends to discuss how social norms and power structures are constructed and reproduced in different social contexts. To work in a norm critical fashion the teacher must be aware of the present norms and work to make the pupils conscious of them. Thereby the focus is on existing norms, rather on the deviances. To use norm critical pedagogy correct it must be incorporated in all subjects in school. The books that have been analysed in this essay are Syskonkärlek by Katarina von Bredow, Henrietta är min hemlighet by Maja Hjertzell and Tusen gånger starkare by Christina Herrström. This study shows that all books include and discuss subjects that are deviant to social norms, such as: non-conformal gender roles, homosexuality and incest. Tusen gånger starkare and Henrietta är min hemlighet are suitable to teach in upper school and upper secondary school, because they discuss subjects and themes that pupils and students in that age can relate to and they are written in ways that open up to discussions.  However, all books are not suitable to use in a norm critical pedagogy. Syskonkärlek’s theme is the incestuous relationship between a brother and a sister. Incestuous love is not only deviant to social norms, it is also against the law. To teach that book in the purpose to make the pupils aware of norms and start thinking critical about them, can have the opposite effect, though incest is seen as wrong in so many ways.

Studiens huvudsakliga syfte är att ur ett normkritiskt perspektiv analysera grundlärares utsagor om sex- och samlevnadsundervisning inom religionskunskapsämnet. För att fylla detta syfte har studien sökt ta reda på hur de intervjuade lärarna genomför sin undervisning om sex och samlevnad inom religionskunskapsämnet, samt vilken roll de ger undervisningsområdet, beträffande vilket utrymme de ger sex och samlevnad i sin religionskunskapsundervisning och vad de anser vara sex- och samlevnadsundervisningens syfte. Studien baseras på enskilda intervjuer med fyra lärare som undervisar i religionskunskap grundskolans årskurser 4-6. Studien visar att samtliga av lärarna som deltar i hög grad är medvetna om risken att deras sex- och samlevnadsundervisning är heteronormativ. De har alla också en uttalad ambition att försöka motverka att deras sex- och samlevadsundervisning blir alltför heteronormativ, emellertid saknar de specifik utbildning i att hantera sex- och samlevnadsfrågor. Detta skulle kunna utgöra ett skäl till att samtliga lärare ger sex- och samlevnadsfrågor ett relativt litet utrymme i sin religionskunskapsundervisning. / The overall aim of this study is to analyse primary school teachers’ testimonies regarding sexuality education in religious education through a norm critical perspective. To fulfil this aim, the study seeks to find out how the teachers carries out their sexuality education when teaching religious education, and furthermore, what part the participating teachers give sexuality education, as to how big a part of the subject it represents and the teachers’ understanding of the purpose of the field. The study is based on individual interviews with four teachers who work in years 4-6 in primary school and teach religious education. What becomes apparent is the awareness the participating teachers show regarding the possibility of their sexuality education being heteronormative. There is also an outspoken ambition among the teachers to make their sexuality education less normative, however, they all lack specific education in the subject matter. This might be one of the reasons why sexuality education is given a very small part in each of the interviewees’ religious education teaching.

This research report follows a group of educators, project managers and scientists involved in a norm-critical project: Norm Creative Certification. The aim of this study is to examine the proposal for, and obstacles to, a norm-critical change that the group discusses in relation to the project and its educational context. The research report also examines whom are expected to make the norm-critical change. For gathering the empirical material the method participant observation is used. Further, the material has been analyzed inspired by Carol Bacchis policy analysis method What is the problem represented to be? Carol Bacchis method has worked indicative, since the material is more organic than a policy. The research report has been analyzed in the context of theories of intersectionality and Kevin Kumashiros theory about antioppressive pedagogy. The obstacles that the reference group refers to a norm-critical change is partly a threatening outside world and an internal feminist critic, the lack of action, a fake (internal) self-image and a fear of the discomfort and resistance that norm-critical change raises. The components that the group suggests for a positive development, is linked to the experience-based learning, an interested attitude of the practitioner, the relation to time and an understanding of conflict, power and domination. What also emerges is that the norm-critical change occurs in the individual, which is assumed not to have any experience of being outside the norm. A duality emerges overall as the group relates to two parallel ideas and pedagogical approaches. Partly the group relates to a "market" where assignments will be carried out and where it is stressed that action without understanding is a way to a norm-critical change. At the same time signed an opposite condition for a norm-critical change, where time, your own experience, understanding and self-reflexivity stands in the center. Here the focus is on longer processes, the individual and the learning processes.

The purpose of this study is to find out which attitudes, norms and values exists about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) families in preschools. Based on five qualitative interviews with teachers that work at a LGBT-certified preschool and one that is active in their work with norm critical pedagogy. To be able to fulfil my purpose of this study I concentrated on why these teachers believed that it was of importance to counter society’s heteronormativity, to prevent discrimination and mistreatments towards children and their LGBT parents in preschool. I wanted to find out what the teachers thoughts were on the concept of what a family is and how the diversity of families is shown in the preschools material and pedagogy. When I analysed the results of my qualitative interviews I used queer theories that include heteronormativity and norm critical pedagogy. The interviews of the teachers showed that they thought it was of great importance to work with a norm critical pedagogy because they did not believe that society’s heteronormativity could or should rule in preschools. The assumption that the majority, to not say all of the children, come from nuclear families does not agree with the reality of many children in our society. To assume such thing can lead to discrimination and obscureness. The results of my study show that by reviewing your own norms and perceptions of normality, will allow you to work with a norm critical approach. It also gives you an awareness that will help you as an educator to make sure that more children and families feel that they are acknowledged and respected. The active choice of methods and materials in the preschool helps the teachers to ensure that the children can be seen and reflected on a daily basis. By questioning heteronormativity in preschool, teachers offer children more opportunities and presents different realities. It also helps them to develop measures to analyse the norms and not just assume that there is only one right way to live.

The aim of this study is, from a norm-critical approach, to find, investigate and analyse human representation in the visual culture of one preschool in order to understand if the children enrolled are represented or not. The research questions are: In what ways is there imagery of human representations in images and materials designed for play? What skin-colors and origins are dominant in the data collected? We carried out a qualitative study in the form of visual ethnography. This method allowed us to use a combination of different data collection tools such as photography and ethnographic field notes to collect our data. The photographs we took of images and material used for play, was then analysed through semiotic picture analysis. The focus was to see which skin-color and origin that was dominant in the photographs of human representations. The result of the study, show that human representation is found in many variations such as, books, board games, puzzles and materials for educational use. The study also show that the vast majority of representations, displayed people of white skin and Swedish origin. In discussing these results we argued that the selected preschool is imbued by the norm of whiteness that is also dominant in the Swedish society. From a postcolonial perspective, we find that this norm and its underlying assumption of racial differences forms part of a historically rooted structural system of values that has evolved in Sweden during hundreds of years. The impact these results have in a preschool context is that children don’t have the same opportunity to identification through the visual culture at the preschool. We conclude that this can, in the long run, create problems since representation or lack of representation is linked to marginalization of whole social groups due to not having the same requisites to take on for example positions of power. We have a strong believe that if the topic of human representation can be enlightened in preschools and schools, teachers can work towards offering all children the same potential for positive identification in preschool.

Studiens syfte är att undersöka och synliggöra hur barnlitteraturen på fyra olika förskolor valdes ut, om en medvetenhet kring val av normkritiska barnböcker gällande kön och genus finns samt att synliggöra hur kön och genus gestaltas i de fyra populäraste barnböcker på dessa förskolor. Studien genomfördes genom intervjuer, litteratursociologiska kartläggningar och text-och bildanalyser utifrån ett normkritiskt perspektiv. Resultatet visar att det inte fanns tydliga rutiner i hur barnlitteraturen väljs ut och att medvetenheten kring normkritiska barnböcker varierade. Det framkom även att pojkar oftare än flickor gestaltades i barnlitteraturen och att de populäraste böckerna skildrade sina karaktärer på ett könsneutralt eller könsöverskridande sätt. Studiens slutsats är att det behövs en större medvetenhet kring barnlitteraturens påverkan på barnens skapande av könsnormer samt att fler böcker som skildrar flickor behöver väljas in. Avslutningsvis behöver även barnböcker som skildrar karaktärer på ett normutvidgande sätt eller könsöverskridande sätt få större plats på förskolan.