Att forma (med) hjärta och händer

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Abstract

 This article explores the pedagogical tension between freedom and discipline in Swedish sloyd education, specifically focusing on how aesthetic and cultural expressions are articulated as teaching content. The study aims to visualize the conditions under which students' expressive acts take form during the introductory stages of a task. Drawing on a practice-oriented discourse analysis and narrative analysis, an “archive” consisting of five different sloyd tasks was analysed. The theoretical framework employs Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphors of “mirrors” and “windows” to visualize how cultural expressions (mirrors) reflect tradition, precision, and craftsmanship, while aesthetic expressions (windows) open vistas toward innovation, personal vision, and uncertainty. Furthermore, bell hooks’ concept of love ethics is utilized as a theoretical lens to examine how these expressions are articulated through care, trust, and responsibility. The findings, presented as a narrative, suggest that both the mirror and the window are essential, interdependent dimensions of sloyd. By practicing a love-ethical approach, teachers can navigate the field of tension without reinforcing dominant relations, thereby enabling students to find meaning in both traditional mastery and creative exploration.