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Generation Calm—When Education Turns Inward

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Educating Adolescents Around the Globe

Part of the book series: Cultural Psychology of Education ((CPED,volume 11))

Abstract

This chapter starts with a contextualization of the Danish education system at large. Afterwards, a recent observation will be discussed: Lately, increasing attention has been paid to the well-being of Danish high school students. National data suggest that 39% of students feel stressed every week and that 20% report stress symptoms every day. In this chapter, the rising stress symptoms among high school students and the related wellbeing discourse are analyzed. The chapter will specifically look at a meditation-based initiative that has been launched in Denmark to reduce stress symptoms among high school students. The chapter discusses whether such meditation-based initiatives are needed steps in battling stress among young students or if these initiatives represent a ‘therapeutization’ and individualization of wider structural and educational problems. It also reflects on the general wellbeing discourse as it highlights implicit normative dimensions that might be problematic when it comes to schooling and education.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    For further information, see http://eng.uvm.dk/upper-secondary-education/vocational-education-and-training-in-denmark.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark

    Thomas Szulevicz & Lene Tanggaard Pedersen

Authors
  1. Thomas Szulevicz
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  2. Lene Tanggaard Pedersen
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Correspondence to Thomas Szulevicz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Sigmund Freud University, Berlin, Germany

    Meike Watzlawik

  2. Sigmund Freud University, Berlin, Germany

    Alina Burkholder

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Szulevicz, T., Tanggaard Pedersen, L. (2020). Generation Calm—When Education Turns Inward. In: Watzlawik, M., Burkholder, A. (eds) Educating Adolescents Around the Globe. Cultural Psychology of Education, vol 11. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37900-1_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-37900-1_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-37899-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-37900-1

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