Everyday nationalism in Swedish preschools: something old, something new and something borrowed

The study investigates how Swedish kindergartens practice and transfer cultural traditions to children as part of their mission to convey a common cultural heritage. The researchers aim to understand how these traditions and holidays can function as tools for everyday nationalism by creating a sense of belonging and identity in children. In addition, the study aims to map how kindergarten staff reflect on and adapt to these traditions in a multicultural context, especially in light of challenges related to religion and secularity in Sweden. The research questions are:

• Which traditions and holidays do Swedish kindergartens emphasise?
• How do the kindergartens emphasise different traditions?
• How can the practices associated with traditions be understood in relation to everyday nationalism?

The results show that Swedish kindergartens actively practice a variety of traditions, especially national holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Midsummer’s Day, which have been transformed from religious to national traditions. Many kindergartens also include more recent, globalised traditions such as Halloween and Valentine’s Day, which have received a permanent place in the kindergarten year. However, there is a clear reluctance to include traditions from non-Christian religions, even when kindergarten children have a different cultural or religious background. The study concludes that this practice largely conveys a form of everyday nationalism that strengthens a common Swedish identity, but which can also exclude certain cultural expressions and religions.

The study is based on an initial survey sent to kindergartens in 23 Swedish municipalities, with responses from over 1167 employees from a total of 465 kindergartens. In addition to quantitative data about which traditions are celebrated, the survey included open-ended questions to gain insight into how employees understand and practice these traditions. The qualitative part consisted of a content analysis of the comments that responding employees provided, giving a deeper insight into the challenges experienced by staff in the transfer of traditions.

Reimers, E., & Puskás, T. (2023). Everyday nationalism in Swedish preschools: something old, something new and something borrowed. Children's Geographies, 21(5), 914–928.

Online year: 2022

Issue year: 2023

Review year: 2022