Dina Bern

Of social codes: Jante law - A political and social instrument of control and its double edged sword: Equality and Xenophobia

It is aimed at Swedish and international readers and written by a teacher with almost 20 years' experience in the Swedish education system, who has also worked as a bilingual education teacher (English and Spanish) with the Board of Education of the City of New York. Using research and theories of different scholars specialized in psychology, sociology and politics to support her arguments, the author maintains that Jante Law, with its self-contradictory quality and extreme reliance on envy, is the common denominator in many of the current problems of Swedish society, among these the failure of integration, structural discrimination, the so called "modern" racism, the bullying that permeates society at all levels and in particular adult bullying in schools. The author makes reference to at least one study that links bullying to psychopathy. The writer also discusses recent research findings that indicate that teachers are at greater risk of becoming ill with mental disorders than other professionals, and contends that this might not only be due to overwork, but also to the "well known secret" that many teachers do bully other teachers. Through interviews, the writer tries to present an overview, if brief, of the current difficult situation of foreign and even Swedish teachers due to bullying, in at least some schools in the country. The strong opposition of the Law of Jante to drawing attention to oneself does not allow discussing unpopular questions or uncomfortable issues in Sweden. That task, then, is left to those who do not believe in Jante Law or who did not grow up under its influence.