The Folk High School as Mirrors of Society - Sociological Perspectives on the Educational Offerings of Folk High School 1868-2018

How have folk high school programs reflected societal change? By digitizing historical records, this project explores 150 years of transformation in Nordic folk high schools.

Folk high schools have played a significant role in Nordic education for over 150 years, adapting to societal changes and pioneering new educational paths. This research project examines how their programs have evolved from 1868 to 2018, using digitized school reports as a historical source. Combining large-scale text analysis and iconography, the study explores shifts in curricula, values, and societal priorities. By creating an open-access database, the project provides valuable insights into the history and future of adult education.

Publications

Erik Nylander, Daniel Holmer (2022)

The latent structure of educational offerings: Tracing topics from folk high school catalogues through large-scale content analyses

Zeitschrift für Weiterbildungsforschung , Vol.45 , s.295-319 Continue to DOI

Course cataloges of Swedish folk high schools. — Photographer: Ulf Lindgren

LiU Electronic Press

Search the national course catalogues of folk high schools 1952-2019.

Link to the database

Mimer - National network for research on popular education

Mimer has since the founding 1990, been one of the central institutes for research on popular education in Sweden and Scandinavia.

Contact

Organisation

A group of adult students in a classroom.

Division of Education and Adult Learning (PVL)

The division is one of the world’s most prominent university settings in the area of adult learning and hosts Sweden’s only Folk High School Teacher Training. Our research focuses on adult education as well as on vocational education.

Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning (IBL)

Human behaviour and learning is the focus for education and research at the department. We educate students and scientists that are well equipped to meet future challenges in society and working life.