Förskollärares förhållningssätt till bråklekar och lekar med fiktivt våld : Vi går in i en fantasi, vi är inne i en annan värld nu

Sammanfattning: This study examines pre-school teachers varying approaches to rough-and- tumble play and plays with pretend violence in relation to different views on children. The study has a phenomenographic orientation and uses a semi- structured interview format where pre-school teachers answer questions about rough-and-tumble play and plays with pretend violence based on their own experiences and after watching a video of rough-and-tumble-play. The analysis is based on three different views on children: children as fellow humans, adults know what is best, and children as irrational. The results show that there are various ways to respond to rough-and-tumble play and plays with pretend violence in pre-schools: with support, by regulation or by break- up. The function of rough-and-tumble play and plays with pretend violence is understood as play for creation of meaning, play as an outlet for needs or play without any deeper purpose. A conclusion of the study is that pre-school teachers think they have an overall responsibility to regulate the plays before they get too violent and out of hand. This is partially because they think that violence should not be normalized or accepted and thus have an effect on children’s sense of reality. Another conclusion is that pre-school teachers are well aware of what research indicates about rough-and-tumble play and plays with pretend violence but that they still choose to respond according to their own personal views. This could indicate that rough-and-tumble play and plays with pretend violence is a topic yet to be professionalized.