Studying religious education in secular France
Henrik Edgren is an associate professor of history and sociology of education and will be investigating how Christianity is taught in French secondary schools. Photo: Annica Hulth
How is Christianity taught in French upper secondary schools? That is the question Henrik Edgren will be exploring for four months in Angers. The exchange visit is part of long-standing cooperation with the Université Catholique de l’Ouest (UCO) in Angers.
What will you be researching in France?
“I will be investigating how Christianity is taught in French upper secondary schools. They have a concept in France called ‘laïcité’, which means that religion is not supposed to have any place in public life. But having said that, Christianity actually plays a key role in French cultural heritage and society. I want to find out how teachers manage this balancing act in practice.
“In Sweden, all religions are also supposed in principle to be on an equal footing in the classroom, but in practice Christianity is afforded a little more importance. It is also clear from the curriculum that this is intentional. That makes for an interesting comparison with the French model.”
How will you conduct your research?
“I will use several different methods. Firstly, I will observe teaching directly in classrooms, and secondly, I will interview French teachers about their thinking on these issues. I will also analyse French teaching materials and look at French research.”
How significant is it actually being there in France?
“It’s crucial for the project. In addition to classroom observations and teacher interviews, I will participate in the French research environment, attend seminars and join in the activities of the university. This will give me a completely different understanding of the context.”
What specific challenges will you face?
“Well of course language is a key issue. Everything will be in French – the seminars, the interviews, the literature. It would have been a very serious limitation if I had only been able to communicate in English. French researchers often publish in French and have their own networks, so language skills are essential to fully enter into the research environment.”
How will the results be used?
“The study will provide new insights into how different countries deal with religion in school education. It’s particularly interesting to compare Sweden, which has a relatively open approach to religion in the public sphere, with France, which has a strictly secular tradition. This can contribute to a better understanding of how to deal with religious and cultural issues in the school world.”
Annica Hulth
Scholarship from ASFR
The research stay is part of a mutual exchange, funded by a scholarship from AFSR (the French-Swedish Research Association). In March, the French researcher Eric Mutabazi will come to Uppsala University to study core values issues in Swedish schools. The exchange builds on a decade-long partnership between the universities that has gradually evolved from staff exchanges to research collaborations.