”… äro absolut obildbara”: Barnen på Vipeholm 1935–1963

Abstract

"... are absolutely uneducable:" The children at Vipeholm 1935–1963. Vipeholm Hospital in Sweden was the only institution for 'uneducated, difficult to care for feebleminded'. Although it was designed for adults, a fifth of those admitted were under the age of 15. The article focuses on the children and their everyday life 1935-1963. The starting point is a life course perspective in which children were expected to act according to normative notions of childhood, which included education and play, even though they were labelled 'uneducable'. A kindergarten was opoened, but most children were considered incapable of attending. Instead, they lived a life of idleness in an environment devoid of stimulation. Children labelled as 'uneducable' have received little attention in research, and so the study contributes empirical knowledge about a group who only gained the right to education in 1968. The article is based on archival material such as patient records, annual- and inspection reports.