Barnträdgårdens vardagsliv: institutioner, pedagogisk verksamhet och emotionshistoria i Västerås 1940–1970

Abstract in English

This dissertation examines everyday life in Swedish ECEC during 1940–1970, using Västerås as a local case. The study draws on a framework combining the history of everyday life, the history of emotions and socialization theory. Based on extensive archival materials, the analysis integrates qualitative interpretation with quantitative mapping. The results show that Västerås developed one of Sweden’s most expansive ECEC sectors well ahead of national reforms. Before the policy changes of the 1970s, the city established a diversified system including kindergartens, day nurseries, colonies and organized park activities. These institutions served both pedagogical and social welfare purposes and shared core features such as similar materials, recurring activities and leadership by kindergarten teachers.

The analysis further shows that the everyday life of kindergartens followed a pedagogical rhythm where teacher-led activities were interspersed with free and open-ended sessions. Crafts, block building, storytelling and roleplay were recurring activates, and teachers documented how children navigated these settings. Creative expression, practical learning and cooperation formed central aspects of socialization, while gendered patterns emerged in children’s use of materials, despite access to them being uniform. A key contribution concerns the history of emotions. The analysis reveals a broad emotional dictionary through which teachers described children’s feelings. Emotions such as joy, fear, anger and sadness appeared in recurring patterns, and teachers acted as emotional norm setters by encouraging some expressions and moderating others. Emotional regulation thus emerged as a central dimension of socialization, shaped through language, expectations and everyday routines.