From blind spot to hotspot: representations of the ‘immigrant others’ in Norwegian curriculum/schoolbooks (1905-2013)

Abstract

Tracing the representation of the ‘immigrant others’ in Norwegian schoolbooks over the past century, the paper examines their exclusion/inclusion in national curriculum/learning materials. It finds that a shift has occurred in the country’s national narratives over time through three distinct phases: once in the ‘blind spot’, the ‘immigrant others’ have moved into a ‘hotspot’, becoming both more visible and controversial over the decades. The paper also examines the ideological and contextual underpinnings behind this change. While specific to the Norwegian educational curriculum/school books context, the paper aims to contribute more broadly to the study of immigrant representations by analysing the ‘space’ dedicated to them in an educational context. In our increasingly globalized world, where classrooms are becoming more multicultural and diverse, the question of the immigrants’ ‘place’ in schoolbooks and society (both literal and symbolic) is ever more important and timely.