Myten om den goda läroboken : En kvalitativ studie om hur imperialism har behandlats i olika läromedel 1929-2016

Sammanfattning: The aim of this research is primarily to examine and explore how imperialism/colonialism is depicted in teaching material from 1929 through to the present day and the changes which may or may not have occurred. This research’s point of departure is postcolonial theory and Edward Said’s harrowing critique of other cultures inaccurate representations in literature; reinforced with the West’s tendencies to portray the East as culturally and intellectually inferior. Previous research has indicated that Western perspectives still dominate textbooks and even suggests that old prejudices are alive and well. This investigation has even a dual-purpose, that is, to determine if the teaching aids meet the requirements of a good textbook, as stipulated by didactic researcher Tom Wikman. Wikman has devised principles to interpret the quality of a textbook which will thus be applied as analytical tools in conjunction with this research. The results of this study reveal, in correlation with previous research that Western perceptions of other cultures are still an issue in modern teaching aids. Despite the exception of one textbook’s attempt to incorporate a more sympathetic viewpoint, a rigid dichotomy between ‘us’ and ‘them’ is nonetheless upheld in the texts. Furthermore, the results allude to that outdated ethnocentric tendencies are seemingly ubiquitous in recent teaching materials, whether the authors are conscious or unconscious of this. To conclude, based on Wikman’s interpretation principles none of the teaching aids fulfil all the requirements of a good textbook.