Power and relational dynamics in one swedish art classroom : A Foucauldian reading

This research paper aims to explore the paradoxical nature of the classroom, being both a place of authority and control as well as a place of relational networks. This tension is named by this paper the Authority-Relationality paradox. The power analysis relies on primarily Michel Foucaults theories of discipline and panopticism from the 1975 book ”Discipline and Punish” and is supplemented by relational pedagogical theories by Gert Biesta and Åsa Hirsh. The research questions asked are: “How can panoptic surveillance be seen in a classroom?”, “How can relational aspects be expressed in a classroom?” and “How can it look when these two factors coexist in a classroom?”. These questions are answered through data from observations carried out in an arts classroom and through an artistic inquiry in form of a miniature model of a classroom. The study suggests that factors such as architecture, visibility, trust and acceptance of risk play an important role in balancing the two elements of control and relationality in the classroom.