Rätt kunskaper för en blivande statschef : Samhällsfostran av svenska tronföljare under 200 år

Sammanfattning: The Right knowledge for a future head of state. The Societal fostering of Swedish successors to the throne during 200 years. The purpose of this study has been to compile and analyse the general educational demands on Swedish successors to the throne in the Bernadotte dynasty; it also strives to analyse how the constitutional context has affected these demands during the 200 years that were examined. The study has a subject didactic approach focusing on the successors to the throne’s education in social science, more particularly on the subject’s fostering aspect. In this context, societal fostering, or “samhällsfostran” in Swedish, is defined as education that strives to foster individuals that understand their position in society and can act accordingly. The principal thesis is that the didactics will be reflected in the politics; the fostering of the successors to the throne will be reflected in how they act in society. The theoretical framework is based on the three didactic questions What, Why and How together with the didactic triangle. The study was conducted by a qualitative text analysis on a rich quantity of sources like biographies, memoirs and encyclopaedias and showed that the successors to the throne in the 19th century to a high degree were fostered to become societal monarchs that ruled over a society they themselves were not a part of; Much, in some cases all, of their education was private with few or no classmates, and thus protecting them from political matters and criticism. Despite this, their fostering emphasized competence and merit; they should never take their position for granted, and always work hard to protect the crown. During the 20th century, after the breakthrough of parliamentarism, the successors’ fostering became more common, following a normal curriculum and having them attend public schools. Their special education towards their future duty is now after their matriculation.