Läroböcker i förändring : En jämförande analys av samers och andra urfolks religion i svenska religionskunskapsböcker utgivna efter Gy25

Following the introduction of the Swedish upper secondary school curriculum Gy25 in 2025, Indigenous peoples are for the first time explicitly included in the subject of Religion. This study examines how Indigenous religious beliefs and practices in Sweden and globally are represented in three Swedish upper secondary school Religion textbooks published after Gy25. Using qualitative content analysis, discourse analysis, and semiotic image analysis, the study examines which Indigenous peoples are included and how their religions are described. It also analyzes the extent of space given to Indigenous religions in the textbooks. Informed by postcolonial and discourse-analytical perspectives, the study further explores which discourses and underlying factors shape these representations and what didactic implications they may entail. The findings show that Indigenous religions are given less space than the five world religions, with Sámi religion presented in a more detailed and contextualized manner than other Indigenous religions. This reflects the Sámi’s specific position in the Religion Level 2 syllabus. Representations of other Indigenous peoples vary across textbooks and are often more generalized, with some reproducing simplified and stereotypical portrayals that risk reinforcing othering and a normative “we,” potentially influencing teachers’ classroom practices.