Den grænseløse skole? Forhandling af nærvær og fravær af skole i familien

Abstract

The relationship between school and family is changing and makes new demands on families. This article focuses on the subtle displacements between school and family in the light of the institutionalization of childhood and the increasing interest of the state in the family. The article explores the schools expectations towards the school family and the schools influence on family life. First of all the article demonstrates how the schools demands on intensified involvement in the school family changes the boundaries between school and family and make distinctions between appropriate and inappropriate families. Secondly the article illustrates how school demands on families create very different forms of presence and absence of school in the families. In some families an uncomplicated presence of school is created in the families, while for other families, school becomes a heavy burden, creating frustration among children and parents. The article is based on ethnographic fieldwork among children, parents and teachers in Denmark.