Course for international guest/part time students
- Faculty
- Faculty of Primary and Pre-school Education
- Organization
- TÓK Department of Foreign Language and Literature
- Code
- SZABV25-01-1
- Title
- Ellen Key and The Century of the Child
- Usual semester
-
Spring
- Published semester
- 2025/26/2
- ECTS
- 4
- Language
- en
- Description
- Ellen Key’s (1849–1926) progressive views on education, women’s rights, and social–cultural reforms left a lasting mark on twentieth-century thought. She was a pioneer in the development of feminism, child-centred education, and social reform. As one of the defining voices of the Modern Breakthrough (Det moderna genombrottet), she advocated for the individual, for empathy, and for the transformative power of art, love, spirituality, and education.
In her 1910 work The Child’s Rights (Barnabalken), she outlined new principles concerning the rights and well-being of children. She also advocated for women"s education and civil rights while affirming the societal importance and value of motherhood.
Ellen Key’s ideas on education, individualism, and voluntary obedience remain relevant today and continue to be the subject of scholarly discussion. The aim of the course is to explore and present the reception of Ellen Key’s multifaceted intellectual legacy.
- Learning outcomes
- Ellen Key’s (1849–1926) progressive views on education, women’s rights, and social–cultural reforms left a lasting mark on twentieth-century thought. She was a pioneer in the development of feminism, child-centred education, and social reform. As one of the defining voices of the Modern Breakthrough (Det moderna genombrottet), she advocated for the individual, for empathy, and for the transformative power of art, love, spirituality, and education.
In her 1910 work The Child’s Rights (Barnabalken), she outlined new principles concerning the rights and well-being of children. She was also deeply committed to women’s right to education. She championed women’s political and civil rights while emphasising the social importance and value of motherhood.
Ellen Key’s ideas on education, individualism, and voluntary obedience remain relevant today and continue to be the subject of scholarly discussion. The aim of the course is to explore and present the reception of Ellen Key’s multifaceted intellectual legacy.
- Course content
- Mapping the social-historical, women’s historical, and cultural-historical contexts of Ellen Key’s major work The Century of the Child, with particular focus on relevant events in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Scandinavian—especially Swedish—history, as well as the consequences, achievements, and enduring influence of Ellen Key’s work that can still be felt in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
- Assessment method
- Requirements
To be present and actively participate in classes, and to complete home tasks.
To read The Century of the Child, watch films
Deadline for the required assignments: the last lesson of the term.
The student's performance will be assessed by grades 1 through 5.
Resources will be shared on Teams.
- Bibliography
- Compulsory Literature
Kent, N. (2008 ). A Concise History of Sweden. CUP. pp.172-216.
Key, E. (1900). The Century of the Child. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/57283/pg57283-images.html
Lindgren. A. Pippi Longstocking. https://www.arvindguptatoys.com/arvindgupta/Pippi.pdf
- Recommended bibliography
- https://nordicwomensliterature.net/welcome-to-the-history-of-nordic-womens-literature/
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