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Available open access digitally under CC-BY-NC-ND licence.
What happens when schools can no longer bind society together?
In an era of growing segregation, this book explores how Swedish schools and municipalities work to counteract inequality and foster civil inclusion. Through detailed case studies of school closures, mergers, and new openings, the authors trace how local actors try to achieve 'civil repair' – to strengthen equality and rebuild cohesion through education.
Drawing on rich ethnographic research, the book reveals the tensions between policy ideals and on-the-ground realities in a marketized school system. These findings speak not only to Sweden but to broader challenges in education systems across Europe and North America.
Stefan Lund is Professor of Education at Stockholm University.
Anna Lund is Professor of Sociology at Stockholm University and a faculty Fellow at the Centre for Cultural Sociology at Yale University.
Ali Osman is Professor of Education at Stockholm University.
1. Introduction
2. School Crisis and Composition Effects
3. Beliefs and Actions in a Superdiverse Elementary School
4. The Struggle with Constant Change
5. Failed Attempts at Civil Repair
6. School Leadership, Empowerment, and Civil Repair
7. For a Critical Pedagogy of Multicultural Incorporation
8. Conclusion
Afterword: Choosing Hope by Jeffrey C. Alexander