Keen on qualification? A comparative review of Danish and Swedish research literature on leisure-time pedagogy

The basis of this article is an extensive review of research literature on leisure-time pedagogy in Denmark and Sweden. 68 Danish and 71 Swedish publications were included. The aim of this article is two-fold. First, we compare the findings and point out the dominating themes in the literature. Secondly, we want to discuss the themes in a power perspective, reflecting on what they could imply for existing and future leisure-time pedagogy as well as its position in both the scientific and educational field. In the analysis, we demonstrate that both countries have a strong focus on children aged 6–10 in primary school and leisure-time centers. Where Danish research focuses on collaboration between teachers and pedagogues, Swedish research concentrates on the professional identity of leisure-time teachers. Based on theoretical discussions, inspired by Pierre Bourdieu and Gert Biesta, we discuss power structures and prevaling themes in the pool of publications, and finally we conclude that both countries’ general research foci can be understood as representations of a qualification domain.