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- Curtis, Reed T., 1984-
(författare)
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Without mast, without sails, without compass : Non-traditional trajectories into higher education and the duality of the folk-market
- 2020
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In 1809, the trajectory of Swedish history and the identities associated with the country changed after Finland was lost to Russia. Swedish General von Döbeln explained that the loss left the nation "without mast, without sails, without compass." The research within this dissertation is not of war but of a similar sense of loss. The loss of the folk-home.Through an abductive case-study of present-day students entering higher education, the author explores the sociocultural history of Sweden, the Swedish education system, student self-efficacy beliefs, and the educational trajectories students experience on their way into higher education. This research uses a mixed methods design where a quantitative survey and qualitative narrative interviews complement each other. First, students within an introduction to university learning summer course at a large research university in Sweden completed a psychosocial survey measuring their self-efficacy beliefs about their academic skills and career decision making abilities. A statistically significant correlation was found between the two measures. Second, 11 students from the same course participated in narrative interviews where they detailed their educational trajectories between upper-secondary education and higher education. The author constructed, analyzed, mapped, and discussed each narrative using careership and social cognitive theory. Students within this study suggest that their transition between compulsory education and upper-secondary education was particularly impactful and shaped their self-efficacy beliefs and educational trajectories into higher education. Students describe a lonely process of upper-secondary education decision making at the age of 15 when they were sent to market without preparation, without support, and without the necessary tools. The majority eventually changed academic programs and schools during upper-secondary education. This led to lengthy ruptures outside of formal education that significantly delayed their progress towards graduation. Students only later decided to pursue a non-traditional trajectory into higher education after the negative self-efficacy beliefs they developed during these ruptures were challenged externally.Lastly, previous research, theory, and the empirical findings were systematically combined through an interactive process of abduction. First, the author developed the concept of the folk-market, which better represents the current neoliberal welfare model present in late modern Sweden. The folk-market must be understood as a duality. The folk-market is both a market for folk and a market of folk. Citizens are both the consumers and the consumed. Second, the author presents folk-market theory, which suggests that neoliberal reforms that embed markets within welfare systems alter transition regimes, redirect state responsibility, and distance the connections citizens have with the state. Therefore, the findings suggest that notions of statist individualism misrepresent late modern Sweden. The relationships individuals and families have with the state are now indirect and filtered through the folk-market. This study also indicates that though Swedish, neoliberal, and adolescent narratives of "autonomous youth" are unrealistic, they directly shape educational policy in Sweden. As such, many students in Sweden are left navigating a competitive folk-market without mast, without sails, without compass.
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| 2. |
- Munhall, Brendan, 1985-
(författare)
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Bounded Horizons : A study of upper secondary school choice for newly arrived students
- 2024
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Graduating primary school students in Sweden choose their upper secondary school within a unique quasi-market school system. The students may choose specialized programs but must also be accepted based on grade rankings by the schools. Despite equity arguments for the school choice model, opportunities are not equally available for all students. Newly arrived students in particular may face challenges in their school selection process, leading to limited availability, especially within metropolitan areas. However, there is a lack of research exploring newly arrived students’ own experiences and attitudes towards school choice in this setting. The aim of this study is to investigate newly arrived students’ own experiences and their understanding of the upper-secondary school choice process.In this study, twenty-two newly arrived year-nine students in the metropolitan Stockholm area were interviewed about their experiences during the school choice process. Semi-structured interviews conducted in the students’ mother tongues explored their educational backgrounds, social interactions, school experiences and academic aspirations during the 2019/2020 school year. In addition, eight of their teachers and guidance counsellors were interviewed. The student responses were analysed through thematic analysis using a combination of concepts including horizon for action, cultural and social capital, the grapevine and structural and symbolic boundaries.In the results, the newly arrived students were shown to be a diverse group with varying languages and levels of preparedness for the Swedish education system. They shared similar experiences in the upper secondary school process, marked by subtle differences due to their available resources and the different actors that they interacted with. Marketing strategies used by the upper secondary schools themselves had a substantial influence on the students although many of the students found this information hard to navigate. Guidance from the school, in both a formal sense from guidance counsellors and informally by other educators had a positive effect but was dependent on the engagement of the educators. The students’ parents had a limited influence on their childrens’ choice process, largely due to their own recent arrival in Sweden. Finally, due to the structure of schools, the newly arrived students interacted with other newly arrived students more than with Swedish students, giving them limited peer information about upper secondary schools. These findings shed light on the experiences of an often overlooked group of students, offering a fresh perspective on the Swedish education system. Many of these students faced challenges in choosing upper secondary schools based on the grades they achieved during their relatively brief time in Sweden and the neighborhoods they resided in. Their school preferences were further shaped by the limited support from both their social circles and the educational institutions themselves. Consequently, these students were vulnerable to the influence of targeted marketing and unsubstantiated rumors. However, this phenomenon wasn't universal. Dedicated educators, particularly those who shared a common language or cultural background with the students, provided meaningful guidance. These findings are significant for identifying limited opportunities for an under researched group within the Swedish education system and giving insight into how they may be better supported.
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