Hagop Baronian (1843-1891) was an outstanding Armenian literary figure, whose satire reflected the political and social realities of Western Armenian life in the 1870s and the 1880s. This thesis is the first systematic attempt to study his social and political views. No such studies exist in the West, and the attempts of Armenian writers are on the whole hasty, incomplete, and restricted in scope. For this thesis, extensive research has been made into the political and social realities of Armenian life in the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century in order to analyse and evaluate Barcnian's political and social ideas in their proper context. Chapter I sketches Baronian's biography. Chapters II, III, IV and V form the first part of this thesis and deal, in chronological order, with Baronian's political views which, hitherto, have been given little attention. Chapter II is devoted to the study of Baronian's view of the Armenian Constitution which he initially supported for having introduced a large degree of secularisation and democracy to the government of the community. However, Baronian soon came to realise that the Constitution was an inadequate tool. This led him to join forces with some Armenian leaders to propose substantial amendments for the document, which was however never in fact revised. The Polozhenie (Statute) which regulated the affairs of the Armenian Church in Russia is also discussed in Chapter II. Baronian was bitterly critical of the document as restricting the rights of the Armenian community and of the Armenian Church, and bringing the latter under strict control of the Russian government. Chapter III analyses Baronian's criticism of Ottoman internal policy which he held responsible for misgovernment in Armenia. It emerges from Baronian's criticism that oppression in the Armenian provinces was due to two cardinal reasons: the legal status of the Armenians as second-class citizens, and the failure of the Ottoman authorities to preserve law and order. Baronian held that the only way of rectifying the situation was by way of peaceful reform. However, he contended that the Ottoman government was at once unwilling to introduce reform in Armenia and incapable of it. Baronian also maintained that the empire lacked the expertise and financial resources to initiate an extensive programme of reorganisation. All this led Baronian to believe that only external pressure would compel the Porte to review its internal policy (Chapter IV). Baronian expected such pressure from Europe, which, as he saw it, should also provide the Empire with the technical expertise and subsidies to modernise itself. The outbreak of hostilities in the Balkans and the subsequent reform plans for the area were regarded by Baronian as a precious opportunity to force an overall programme of reform on the Porte. However, in Baronian's view, the conflicting interests of the Powers and their self-centred ambitions prevented them from exerting effective pressure on the intransigent Ottoman administration. Baronian dissected the activities of the Armenian leadership in his Armenian Big-Wigs, which is analysed in Chapter V. Baronian criticised most of the Armenian leaders for their lack of what he considered as the basic qualities of public leaders, namely competence, dedication, audacity and integrity. Baronian also censured the Armenian priesthood. While some prelates harrassed their flock by an excess of incompetent activities, many other priests declined to assume any office in the provinces and, residing idly in Constantinople, pursued ecclesiastical preferment or other vain ambitions. Some of the leaders of the so-called anti-Hasunist movement within the Catholic Armenian Community were also depicted by Baronian. Since they claimed a voice for lay elements in governing the Catholic community, Baronian sympathised with their cause but found that the movement was doomed to failure, most of these leaders being motivated by personal ambitions or impractical ideas. Part II (Chapters VI, VII and VIII) of this thesis is devoted to the study of Baronian's social views. In Chapter VI Baronian's comic characters are analysed and the social problems he raised in his comedies and his satirical novel are discussed. In his novel (The Most Honourable Beggars) Baronian dismissed many of the Armenian intelligentsia as parasites and poured contempt on the wealthy for their apathy towards culture. In his comedies Baronian illustrated the old adage concerning the limits to men's capabilities (A Servant of Two Masters) and castigated the vice of sycophancy (The Flatterer). He demonstrated that marriage uniting couples of incompatible ages resulted in immorality and the destruction of the family (The Oriental Dentist). Baronian held that the incompetence of the Armenian Judicial Council, which handled questions of marriage, was a contributory factor to the decrease in the number of marriages among Armenians. He also criticised the rigid approach of the Judicial Council (and therefore the Armenian Church) to divorce, which, Baronian contended, should be granted on valid grounds (Uncle Balthazar). Baronian, who almost exclusively reflected the social realities of the Armenian community of Constantinople, found that this society was in rapid decline (Chapter VII). He was concerned with the institution of marriage because the family, together with morality, religion and education constituted the main pillars of a prosperous society. Despite advocating equality in marriage, Baronian manifested strong patriarchal tendencies, and held that a woman's primary role, designed by nature, was motherhood. In Baronian's view money profoundly affected human relations and the moral cast of men who abandoned human virtues in pursuit of material gain and vain ambition. Baronian noted that men's religious zeal was also in decline due to their materialistic approach. However, the Armenian priesthood was equally to blame. The failure of many priests in their pastoral duties and their often impious conduct greatly affected the religious feelings of the congregation. Finally, Baronian maintained that the Armenians were still backward in the field of education. The national authorities failed to allocate sufficient funds and the community was reluctant to support the educational network financially. For Baronian theatre and literature played a vital role in transforming a society in that they combined the aesthetically beautiful with the socially useful (Chapter VII). Advocating socially conscious literature he emphasised the need for a local and up to date repertoire, and criticised the romantic authors of the time, whose works failed to satisfy his aesthetic and social principles. The conclusion to the thesis sums up Baronian's social and political ideas. Baronian believed that the well-adjusted individual was the basis for social progress, also envisaging a principal role for the family, religion and education. He recognised man as the source of legislative and political power and advocated parliamentary democracy. He illustrated the consequences of the inequal Ottoman political system with the plight of the Armenians and maintained that substantial and peaceful reform was the only way of redressing the situation.

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En stor del av det här arbetet har grundat sig i det politiska förslaget om att införa en läslista i skolan. Syftet med vår studie var därför att ta reda på sambandet mellan lärares syn på, och undervisning i, skönlitteratur samt deras inställning till en litterär kanon. Vi har använt oss av en metodkombination med muntliga och skriftliga intervjuer, och en enkät. Enkäten besvarades av 63 respondenter och i intervjuerna deltog 8 lärare. Med utgångspunkt i receptionsteori, forskning om läroplan och lärares undervisning samt kanonteori och kanondebatt kan vårt resultat visa flera samband. Resultatet visade att majoriteten av lärarna var negativa eller osäkra till ett införande av en litterär kanon. De som ställde sig negativa eller är osäkra till en kanon läser mer frekvent på fritiden jämfört med de som är positivt inställda till en kanon. Gemensamma uppfattningar hos de positivt inställda till kanon är att en litteraturkanon kan bidra till likvärdighet och kulturarv. En återkommande åsikt hos de negativt inställda till en kanon är att de önskar välja litteratur själva, och att de ifrågasätter vem som ska bestämma urvalet i en kanon. Resultatet visar också att det finns en konflikt mellan lärares litteratursyn och hur de undervisar i skönlitteratur. / The idea for this study was initiated by the political proposal of establishing a reading list in the Swedish school. The aim of our study was therefore to examine the connection between middle school teachers’ views on, and teaching of, fiction and their attitudes towards a literary canon. Our study is based on a combination of methods, using both written and oral interviews with 8 teachers, and a questionnaire with 63 participating respondents. Based on reception theories, curriculum studies and research of teaching literature, as well as canon theory and the debate, our result can reveal several connections. A majority of the teachers were negative or uncertain towards a literary canon in the Swedish school. The negative or doubtful are reading more often in their spare time compared to those who are positive towards a canon. Common opinions among those with a positive attitude concern equivalence and cultural heritage. A recurring opinion of those with a negative attitude towards a canon is regarding their own choice of literature for teaching, as well as they question who decides the canon content. The result indicates that there is a conflict between the teachers’ views on literature and how they are teaching literature.

Läsningen i dagens skola påverkas av såväl internationella kunskapsmätningar som normer av kritiska förhållningssätt i en utsträckning som utmanar skönlitteraturens roll för skolans värdeutvecklande uppdrag. Ämnesplanen för svenska i gymnasieskolan motiverar läsning som läsfärdighetsträning, kritisk läsning såväl som inlevelsefull läsning, vilket innebär en komplex litteraturundervisning. Forskning har dessutom visat att lärare saknar kunskap om litteraturdidaktiska förhållningssätt och deras uttryck i skolans verksamhet. Tidigare forskning har i hög grad studerat legitimeringen av skönlitteraturens roll i skolan, men har i begränsad utsträckning utforskat legitimering av läsning och föreställningar om skönlitterär läsning som färdighet. Mot denna bakgrund studerar detta arbete läromedlet Svenska impulser för gymnasieskolans kurser i svenska 1, 2 och 3. För att synliggöra läromedlets didaktiska potential studeras litteratursyner och legitimeringar av litteraturläsning samt hur detta relaterar till läsning i en vidgad digital textvärld. Den didaktiska potential som analysen synliggör är ett studieinriktat motiv som legitimerar läsning efter det centrala innehållet i ämnet samt efter en tänkt målgrupps akademiska och intellektuella intresse. Det finns inslag av olika litteratursyner, men analysen visade att även om läromedlet ibland relaterar till elevernas egna erfarenheter och textvärldar bjuds de samtidigt till att ta del av ett litterärt kulturarv och mer traditionella textvärldar. Läromedlet är användbart för att arbeta systematiskt med kursernas innehåll och ger överlag mer utrymme åt kritisk läsning och läsning som läsfärdighetsträning än inlevelsefull läsning. Läromedlet är i mycket begränsad utsträckning anpassat till en vidgad digital textvärld. Det skapar vissa möjligheter för en social eller interaktiv läsning, men läromedlet främjar snarare en koncentrerad och inlevelsefull läsning av traditionell skönlitteratur. / Reading in today’s school is influenced by international assessments as well as norms of critical approaches to a degree that challenges the role of fictional literature in the value-developing mission of the school. The curriculum for the subject of Swedish in upper secondary school motivates reading to develop literacy, critical reading and empathetic reading, which imply a complex literary education. Research has further shown that teachers lack awareness of literary-didactical approaches and their place in the educational practice. Research on the subject has studied the legitimation of literature in school, but not so much legitimation of reading and approaches fictional reading as a competence. To this background this essay study the learning material Svenska impulser for the courses of Swedish 1, 2 and 3 for upper secondary school. To make visible the didactic potential of the material its views on literature and legitimation of fictional reading is studied and how this relates to reading in a widened digital text-world. The didactic potential that the analysis make visible is an academic motif that legitimate reading based on the curriculum of the subject and based on the students supposed academic and intellectual interest. There are examples of different views of literature, but the analysis showed that although the material sometimes relates to the students own experiences and text-worlds, they are invited to take part in a literary heritage and more traditional text-worlds. The material is useful to work systematic with the courses content and generally gives more room for critical reading and literacy enhancing reading than it gives empathetic reading. The material is to a very limited degree customized for a widened digital text-world. It offers some possibilities for social or interactive type of reading and rather promotes a concentrated and empathetic type of reading based in traditional literature.