Researchers
Professor Edmund Edvardsen,
Associate Professor Vidar Vambheim and
Associate Professor Sylvi Hovdenak

For young people the question of identity – especially in (post) modern society – is a major existential challenge. It should therefore also be
considered a topic of discussion in welfare policies. We consider young people as constructors of their own lives, making choices in harmony with or against socially legitimated norms. Simultaneously, their own choices are affected by strong social structures and influences; partly from state or local authorities (like schools), partly from the market (like media and
culture industry).

We ask how young people’s own projects and participation on various arenas inside and outside school is connected to their personal, future oriented learning and identity work. Central questions in this study are: What are the meanings and importance of different arenas and fields of action for young people’s identity construction, and what role do school projects play in that connection? What do young people consider to be attractive/repulsive with school compared to other arenas? What role does school play in their identity construction? Do schools bring external social arenas into the context of education? How? What role can or could externally oriented school projects play for young people’s identity work, compared to traditional, school internal classroom activities?

We have interviewed and/ or sent questionaires to 100 young people on several occasions through a period of 4 years (from May 2000 –August 2004). On the basis of these interviews and questionaires, group conversations and analysis of the informants' sociocultural environment, we have construct young people’s identity constructions, and some processes associated with it, through these years.

Our main aim has been to describe and analyze variation, and find change as well as continuity at the personal, interpersonal, person-community and person-society level.


Project Period: 2000-2004

Funding:
-The Norwegian Research Council, the Welfare Program.
- University of Tromsö.

Research staff:
Project leader: Professor Edmund Edvardsen, Institute of Educational Research, University of Tromsoe, Norway edmund@sv.uit.no.

Associate Professor Vidar Vambheim
Institute of Educational Research, University of Tromsoe, Norway vidarv@sv.uit.no.

Associate Professor Sylvi Hovdenak,
Department of Teacher Education and Sschool Development, University of Oslo,Norway Sylvi.Hovdenak@ils.uio.no



Books /Articles/ Papers :

Books:
Edvardsen, Edmund: Samfunnsaktiv Skole. En skole rik på handling, Oplandske Bokforlag, 2004 (185 pp).

Reports/chapters in books/ antologies:
Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: Elev i ungdomsskolen: Om ungdom, utdanning og identitet, HiO Rapport nr 11:2004, Høgskolen i Oslo, 2004 (88 pp.).

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Education”, i Arctic Human Development Report,
Oddi Printing, Reykjavik 2004.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Den nye ungdomsskolen – problemer og utfordringer”,
i Perspektiver på Reform –97, Gyldendal Akademisk, Oslo 2001.

Articles:
Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Eleven, enhetsskolen og velferdsstaten i et identitetsdannende perspektiv”, Barn nr 4:2002, pp. 25-47.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: “Curriculum and the construction of identities. The importance of an ethnographic outlook”, Ethnography and Education European
Review, nr 3:2003, vol. 3, pp. 81-91.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Et kritisk blikk på Reform -97 og dens grunnlagstenkning”, Norsk Pedagogisk Tidsskrift nr 4:2004, pp.316-330.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Mellom instrumentalisme og fornyelse”, Bedre Skole nr 3:2004, pp.34-39.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Pedagogiske diskurser, identiteter og rasjonaliteter I norsk utdanningspolitikk på 1990-tallet”, Vardøger 2002, vol. 27, pp.58-78.


Papers/ Conference Reports:

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Becoming Somebody. Young people’s struggle to construct future identities and the impact of education,” University of Cape Town, 2001, 16 pp.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Fredspedagogikk som modus vivendi ?”, Nasjonal Fagkonferanse i pedagogikk, NTNU, Trondheim 2001.

Hovdenak, Sylvi Stenersen: ”Den mangfoldige enhetsskolen og elevenes stemmer”,
i Østerud, P. og Johnsen J. (red.): Leve skolen! Enhetsskolen i et kulturkritisk perspektiv, Oplandske Bokforlag 2003.


Publicity (only in Norwegian media):

Nordlys:”Følger unge i 5 år”, 16.05.2000.
Sagat: ”Vil forske på 3 elever i Sirma”, 29.04.2000.
Tromsøflaket”Ungdom, framtid og identitet”, 20.03.2000
Bergens Tidende: Lederartikkel 04.07.2004: Omtale i av HiO-rapport nr 11: 2004
Dagbladet 03.07.2004: Omtale i av HiO-rapport nr 11: 2004.
Aftenposten 30.06.2004: Omtale i av HiO-rapport nr 11: 2004.