Den lille galskab: Symboliseringspraksis som en psykodynamisk metode til samspil med den ubevidste psyke.

The article discusses symbolization as a specific psychological method informed by psychodynamic theory. The point of departure is taken in a critique of modern society as disenchanted in the sense that a one-sided appreciation of reason has displaced and delegitimized irrational modes of consciousness. This process has led to great technological, scientific and administrative advantages, but it has also weakened the connection between consciousness and the unconscious layers of the psyche. Utilizing psychodynamic theory, it is argued that the connection between consciousness and the unconscious can be strengthened through what is called practices of symbolization. Three such practices are discussed: Symbolic play, active imagination, and religious symbolic practices. Two pitfalls of symbolization are then discussed: Escapism and ‘symbolic equation’ or the confusion of symbol and reality. Finally, the article discusses practices of symbolization in a broader cultural context

Pædagogers forståelse af omsorg: – i daginstitutioners almindelige hverdag

Resume Artiklen belyser hvordan pædagoger forstår fænomenet omsorg, som det udfolder sig i hverdagens pædagogiske praksis i vuggestuer og børnehaver. Artiklen bygger på praksisviden i form af pædagogers konkrete forståelser og erfaringer med at udøve omsorg for børn i dagtilbud. Det metodisk grundlag (fortælling og fortolkning) udspringer fra et toårigt forløb med forskningsværksteder, hvor pædagogiske praktikere og forskere har været sammen om at belyse, drøfte og forstå pædagogers omsorgserfaringer og omsorgens forskellige fremtrædelsesformer, - herunder også omsorgens betingelser i daginstitutionernes hverdag. Det konkluderes, at det er karakteristisk for omsorgens natur, at den altid udøves gennem relationer og fx ikke gennem standardiserede metoder. Det er også kendetegnende, at den omsorgsfulde pædagog er sensitiv over for det enkelte barn og børnegruppe på det specifikke tidspunkt. Omsorg er også forbundet med ro og god tid (de-acceleration), og synes således at stå i modsætning til at være stresset og at have mange aktivitetsplaner. Desuden anses det fysiske rum som en vigtig medspiller i omsorgsarbejdet. Der skelnes her mellem forskellige omsorgsfulde kvaliteter ved hhv. inde-rum, uderum og på-tur-rum. Her er kvaliteter som rummenes stemning og æstetik væsentlige for omsorgen, ligesom forskellige rum kan opfylde forskellige af børnenes behov. AbstractThe practice of care: What nursery workers know about caring for young children in daycareThe article is an investigation of the phenomenon of care as it manifests in the daily life within a day-care setting. The article builds on the practical knowledge of pedagogues, which originates from their daily experiences of caring for children. The methodology is research-workshops, in which pedagogues and researchers participated in producing understandings of the nature of care in a day-care context. The article finds care is always practiced as a part of established personal relations, and never given in more depersonalised or standardised ways. Also, care is sensitive to the here-and-now needs of specific child or group of children. Care is also related to being calm and having enough time to being attentive to the child, and thus the nature of care stands in contrast to having lots of activities scheduled. Care is also related to the material surroundings, and physical space may be more or less caring. Different kinds of physical space embody different care-qualities. The findings point to three different arenas, characterised by different care-qualities: Indoor space, outdoor space and out-on-a-trip space. Physical space provides atmosphere and aesthetic qualities, and different kinds of space suit the needs of different children