Conserving liberalism within values education

This article underscores the importance of contextualization when analysing values education. The interplay between societal values and those imparted within an educational context significantly affect the interpretation and comprehension of values education. To address this concern, I strategically position sociologist Tiffany Mary Jones framework, ‘The Four Orientations Framework,’ within Swedish context. The critical examination of Jones’ framework and subsequent applications, reveals that these approaches do not fully capture the complex relationship between societal values and values education. Thereafter, three constructive conclusions emerge in response to this initial critique. Firstly, an argument arises for untangling values from function during the analysis of values education. Second, the function of values education is determined by the relation between societal values and the values conveyed within education. Lastly, I emphasize the importance of recognizing and navigating dissonance within and between different value systems.