Mid Sweden University

The aim of the study is to examine how the labour market is depicted in course booksfor Sweden's upper secondary social studies courses, by comparing textbook contentfor different educational tracks. The case study is based on qualitative text analysiscombined with some quantitative elements. It investigates themes, language andassignments as well as the extent and depth of depictions of the labour market. Thetheoretical lens used draws on Basil Bernstein's concept of knowledge organisation;the distinction between vertical and horizontal knowledge structures.Although the results show some similarities between the tracks, the findings point todifferences in expectations placed on students in different tracks in terms of languageproficiency, cognitive load and their expected societal roles. The study aligns withprevious research within the field suggesting that tracking contributes to sustainingsocial divisions.