Historisk Tidskrift. Utgiven av Svenska historiska föreningen
  Hem Aktuellt  Tidigare nummer Bli Medlem  Annonsera Om Historisk Tidskrift  För skribenter  Föreningen In English
 

Historisk tidskrift 126:1 • 2006

Innehåll (Contents) 2006:1

Uppsatser (Articles)

Barnarbete, barns arbete eller hobby? Stallarbetet i generationsperspektiv

Susanna Hedenborg

Fulltext (pdf)

Summary

Children’s Stable Work in Sweden during the 20th Century

This article has two aims. First, it analyses and explains the continuity of the work of stable grooms. Secondly, it discusses and develops a generational perspective and concepts of child work and child labour.

From a generational perspective it is obvious that a majority of people working in stables began working there when they were very young. During the first period of their working life, children learnt their tasks under the supervision of adults.

During the 20th century an increasing number of children have attended school and the time children have spent in school has also increased. Today it is accepted that theoretical education is necessary for high status jobs. A hundred years ago practical skills were an important qualification in the labour market.

Of course, vocational training has not disappeared completely and in many areas it is still essential. Tending horses is one such area. This is why it is difficult to use common concepts from the history of children’s work, such as child labour –child work. Analysis of children’s work can be developed by introducing the dichotomies harmful/harmless and instrumental/rearing. Children’s work can be both harmful and instrumental, e.g. working in mines; harmful and rearing, e.g. working as a chimney-sweep; harmless and instrumental, e g sewing T-shirts for a few hours to earn money for schooling; harmless and rearing, e g doing the family dishes. The article argues that children’s work in stables has been accepted, despite the fact that it is physically damaging, because it has been seen as rearing.

Keywords

stable work, horses, horse racing, child labour, child work, generation, gender, history