Det ansvarsfulla mötet: En närhetsetisk analys av omsorgens innebörder i förskolan

This doctoral thesis investigates care in kindergarten teacher education. In the article, the concept of responsibility is used to analyse the importance of care in kindergarten. The following research questions are asked: How is it possible to understand the aspects of responsibility in relation to the purpose of kindergarten, kindergarten teachers and staff in general, and as an expression of the importance of care and care practices in general?

The study uses a proximity ethics approach to generate knowledge about the importance of care and care practices by studying kindergarten teachers’ speech and thoughts on responsibility during two periods: the period immediately before and the period immediately after the introduction of the curriculum for kindergartens in Sweden. The following research questions were asked: 1) What do kindergarten employees say about the expression of responsibility and the limits of responsibility in everyday kindergarten life? 2) In what way does a care theory and a proximity ethics perspective contribute to a broader understanding of the importance of care in kindergarten and the professional ethics dimensions of the kindergarten teacher profession in a contemporary perspective?

The 1993-1995 interviews reveal the following topics as examples of expressions of responsibility and limits of responsibility: control and safety, flexibility in the sharing of responsibility between kindergarten and parents, and family support. The group interviews from 2003-2006 reveal the following topics as examples of expressions of responsibility and limits of responsibility: peace and quiet, taking the children into account (the tension between service and pedagogical activity), and family support (good relationships).

Finally, the challenges that emerge when the concept of care becomes more visible in kindergarten practice are discussed, as well as how the ethical proximity perspective can be used as a springboard for a contemporary and future-oriented discussion about the importance of care in kindergartens and the ethical dimensions of the pedagogical profession.

The thesis is based on two specific sociohistorical turning points in kindergarten history, the 1990s and the early 2000s. The study is based on empirical material consisting of analyses, partly from individual interviews collected during the period 1993-1995, and partly from group interviews collected during the period 2004-2006.

Josefson, M. (2018). "Det ansvarsfulla mötet: En närhetsetisk analys av omsorgens innebörder i förskolan". Akademisk avhandling. Stockholms universitet.