View in EDS

From Influencing School Food to Handling Hate Speech: Methods, Areas, and Limitations of Active Citizenship in Finnish Social Studies Textbooks

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: From Influencing School Food to Handling Hate Speech: Methods, Areas, and Limitations of Active Citizenship in Finnish Social Studies Textbooks
Language: English
Authors: Pia Mikander (ORCID 0000-0002-6469-5230), Henri Satokangas
Source: Education, Citizenship and Social Justice. 2025 20(1):77-92.
Availability: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 16
Publication Date: 2025
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Elementary School Students, Elementary School Teachers, Elementary School Curriculum, Social Studies, Textbooks, Textbook Bias, Textbook Selection, Textbook Standards, Citizenship Education, Democratic Values, Freedom of Speech, Democracy, Social Media, Social Bias, Social Discrimination, Communication Skills, Educational Environment, Place Based Education, Foods Instruction, Persuasive Discourse, Propaganda, Misinformation
Geographic Terms: Finland
DOI: 10.1177/17461979231197409
ISSN: 1746-1979
1746-1987
Abstract: Historically, education for active citizenship has not been a high priority in Finnish schools. In this discursive study of Finnish social studies textbooks for grades 4-6, we investigate how students are encouraged to practice active citizenship, where the focus of active citizenship lies, and how active citizenship is limited in antidemocratic ways. Referring to the theoretical discussion about democracy in education, we note a discursive focus on individual influencing and communication skills as methods for active citizenship education. We find that active citizenship focuses on students' immediate surroundings, the school, and the local area as potential fields of influence. We note how antidemocratic threats to active citizenship are often portrayed with a focus on individual feelings and manners, not on understanding democratic structures and antidemocratic threats such as silencing voices through online hate speech. We welcome a discussion about how young students can become active citizens, by encouraging a more democratic classroom culture within social studies, thereby creating space for imagining alternative futures and utopian thinking.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: EJ1466388
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: eric
DbLabel: ERIC
An: EJ1466388
AccessLevel: 3
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: From Influencing School Food to Handling Hate Speech: Methods, Areas, and Limitations of Active Citizenship in Finnish Social Studies Textbooks
– Name: Language
  Label: Language
  Group: Lang
  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pia+Mikander%22">Pia Mikander</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6469-5230">0000-0002-6469-5230</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Henri+Satokangas%22">Henri Satokangas</searchLink>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Education%2C+Citizenship+and+Social+Justice%22"><i>Education, Citizenship and Social Justice</i></searchLink>. 2025 20(1):77-92.
– Name: Avail
  Label: Availability
  Group: Avail
  Data: SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com
– Name: PeerReviewed
  Label: Peer Reviewed
  Group: SrcInfo
  Data: Y
– Name: Pages
  Label: Page Count
  Group: Src
  Data: 16
– Name: DatePubCY
  Label: Publication Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: TypeDocument
  Label: Document Type
  Group: TypDoc
  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
– Name: Audience
  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Descriptors
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Teachers%22">Elementary School Teachers</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Curriculum%22">Elementary School Curriculum</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Studies%22">Social Studies</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Textbooks%22">Textbooks</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Textbook+Bias%22">Textbook Bias</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Textbook+Selection%22">Textbook Selection</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Textbook+Standards%22">Textbook Standards</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Citizenship+Education%22">Citizenship Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Democratic+Values%22">Democratic Values</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Freedom+of+Speech%22">Freedom of Speech</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Democracy%22">Democracy</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Media%22">Social Media</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Bias%22">Social Bias</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Social+Discrimination%22">Social Discrimination</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Communication+Skills%22">Communication Skills</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Educational+Environment%22">Educational Environment</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Place+Based+Education%22">Place Based Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foods+Instruction%22">Foods Instruction</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Persuasive+Discourse%22">Persuasive Discourse</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Propaganda%22">Propaganda</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Misinformation%22">Misinformation</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1177/17461979231197409
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 1746-1979<br />1746-1987
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Historically, education for active citizenship has not been a high priority in Finnish schools. In this discursive study of Finnish social studies textbooks for grades 4-6, we investigate how students are encouraged to practice active citizenship, where the focus of active citizenship lies, and how active citizenship is limited in antidemocratic ways. Referring to the theoretical discussion about democracy in education, we note a discursive focus on individual influencing and communication skills as methods for active citizenship education. We find that active citizenship focuses on students' immediate surroundings, the school, and the local area as potential fields of influence. We note how antidemocratic threats to active citizenship are often portrayed with a focus on individual feelings and manners, not on understanding democratic structures and antidemocratic threats such as silencing voices through online hate speech. We welcome a discussion about how young students can become active citizens, by encouraging a more democratic classroom culture within social studies, thereby creating space for imagining alternative futures and utopian thinking.
– Name: AbstractInfo
  Label: Abstractor
  Group: Ab
  Data: As Provided
– Name: DateEntry
  Label: Entry Date
  Group: Date
  Data: 2025
– Name: AN
  Label: Accession Number
  Group: ID
  Data: EJ1466388
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=eric&AN=EJ1466388
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1177/17461979231197409
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 16
        StartPage: 77
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Teachers
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Curriculum
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Studies
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Textbooks
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Textbook Bias
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Textbook Selection
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Textbook Standards
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Citizenship Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Democratic Values
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Freedom of Speech
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Democracy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Media
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Bias
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Social Discrimination
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Communication Skills
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Environment
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Place Based Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Foods Instruction
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Persuasive Discourse
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Propaganda
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Misinformation
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Finland
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: From Influencing School Food to Handling Hate Speech: Methods, Areas, and Limitations of Active Citizenship in Finnish Social Studies Textbooks
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pia Mikander
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Henri Satokangas
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 03
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 1746-1979
            – Type: issn-electronic
              Value: 1746-1987
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 20
            – Type: issue
              Value: 1
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Education, Citizenship and Social Justice
              Type: main
ResultId 1