School Health Promotion to Increase Empowerment, Gender Equality and Pupil Participation: A Focus Group Study of a Swedish Elementary School Initiative

Abstract

A school health promotion project was carried out in an elementary school in Sweden where active participation, gender equality, and empowerment were leading principles. The objective of the study was to understand challenges and to identify social processes of importance for such a project. Focus group interviews were conducted with 6 single-sex groups (7–12 year olds) in grade 1–2, grade 3–4, and grade 5–6 on 2 occasions. The analysis used a grounded theory approach. The analysis identified the core category “normalization processes of violence and harassment.” It is argued that school health promotion initiatives need to be aware of normalization processes of violence and, which may be counter-productive to the increase of empowerment and participation among all pupils.

Keywords:

• gender perspective
• empowerment
• violence
• harassment

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Katja Gillander Gådin

Katja Gillander Gädin, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University

Gaby Weiner

Gaby Weiner, Centre for Educational Sociology, University of Edinburgh

Christina Ahlgren

Christina Ahlgren, Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeä University.