Examines how public health policies shape perceptions of children in Sweden and Norway, highlighting implications for child agency.
Key Points
This research aims to analyze how children are represented in national public health policies in Sweden and Norway, focusing on their agency and rights.
Conducted a discourse analysis of recent national public health policy documents from Sweden and Norway.
Applied theoretical insights from critical childhood studies and public health research to interpret the findings.
Identified narratives that frame children as passive and vulnerable, limiting their agency.
Found dominant narratives categorizing children primarily as passive and dependent health subjects.
Identified risks of reinforcing hierarchical power dynamics and deficit views of childhood in health policies.
Argued for the need to reframe children as active contributors to their health, not just future investments.