Pupil's opportunities to influence activities: a study of everyday practice at a Swedish leisure-time centre

Abstract

The focal point of this article is a discussion of pupils' opportunities to make their voices heard and influence the activity in a Swedish leisure-time centre. The study comprises six weeks of ethnographically inspired field work including data from participating observations and walk-and-talk conversations. Two voluntary activities, referred to here as ‘free play' and ‘thematic activity', are discussed. The study shows that free play can be described as an activity where the staff take their point of departure based on the children's perspectives and the enhancement of democratic values and decision-making. The thematic activity can, as with free play, be described as a stimulating activity which is also in line with relevant steering documents. However, staff members’ points of departure are grounded in an adult perspective, a perspective that focuses on affording ‘good' activities. This results in an activity where the pupils’ opportunities to take part in democratic decision-making differ compared to that in free play.

Keywords:

• Giddens
• decision-making
• school-age educare
• ethnography
• influencing activities

Notes on contributor

Björn Haglund, Ph.D., senior lecturer, works at the University of Gothenburg. Primarily his research interest has been applied to leisure-time pedagogues and their work in schools and leisure-time centres which is showed in his dissertation. Lately his research has been concentrating on describing how various discourses concerning social practice could be said to guide how the content of the activities in leisure-time centres are created.