Education of human values by provocative means : A study of provocative themes place in literary education in Swedish upper secondary school

The Swedish school system relies on a set of principles that are implemented into all education. Provocative themes that contradict said set of values have typically been disregarded in the education of human rights. Many provocative themes can be found in literature. Therefore, this study aimed to chart provocative literature's place in literary education in Swedish upper secondary school. Three teachers whose teaching have been supported by the Swedish upper secondary curriculum have been interviewed. Their answers were then compared to former studies regarding the choice of books, didactic approaches and how pupils interpret texts. The results have presented a didactic framework including provocative literature that emphasizes growth of self-awareness. Provocative literature includes obscure perspectives that produce strong reactions from readers. These reactions provided teachers with opportunities to relate provocative themes to real life. The results also included perspectives on how to choose books that relate to pupils’ experiences.