The Ministry of Education will begin an investigation to map the existence of a culture of silence at universities in Sweden.
But exactly what such a survey should look like is too early to say, according to Education Minister Mats Persson (L).
- The most important thing is to get a picture of how big and widespread the problem is and how individual researchers perceive the situation today, says Persson.
"Very serious"
In Kalla Fakta's review, several university employees testify that they have been ostracized or silenced when they touched on discussions about, for example, racism or sexism.
- Being silenced or frozen out because you use certain words or present certain perspectives is very serious, says Mats Persson to Kulturnyheterna.
According to Persson, this has several consequences for the designated person but also for the education itself.
- When a culture of silence spreads and takes hold, it will make research in Sweden worse.
It is important to have an open debate and discussion but not to silence the word, he says.
According to him, research at Swedish universities should be able to deal with several different areas that provoke "the political left, the right as well as the religious".
"Important to speak openly about sexism and racism"
In a debate article published in Expressen, Mats Persson describes how identity politics is taking an increasingly large place at Swedish universities, a development he sees as problematic:
"If you are to understand reality, certain words or theories cannot be forbidden.
Being able to speak openly about, for example, sexism and racism is important in order to understand its causes and consequences.”