Description:
The aim of the article is to discuss whether or to what extent the social investment strategy has an impact on the Swedish preschool and the reform work being done at the moment. Since its establishment in the 1970s, the emphasis has been on the child's needs at the same time as it fulfils goals related to family, social, gender equality and labour market policies. Has the balance changed in favour of futureoriented goals? Is there a paradigm shift taking place in the Swedish preschool? The article will explore whether this is the case by discussing the development of the Swedish preschool since the 1970s, proceeding from Hall's (1993) requirements of a paradigm shift; these include a simultaneous change of objectives, policy instruments and settings. During the last ten to fifteen years far-reaching reforms have been implemented, and the article will discuss whether these changes could be characterised as a paradigm shift or whether this development only refer to changes in one or two of the three areas referred to by Hall (ibid.). The focus of the paper is on the Swedish context.