Faglighedens Fødsel: Historien bag faglighedsbegrebets indtog i dansk uddannelses-, arbejdsmarkeds- og forvaltningspolitik

Danish political, educational and occupational discourse is dominated by one single concept; "faglighed': Today it is difficult to imagine a time when faglighed was not used to refer to an amal­gam of subject knowledge, expertise and profes­sional knowledge work. But before the 1980's the concept was virtually nonexistent. In this article we seek to challenge self-evident assumptions and uses of the concept, by tracing its historical spread from Danish educational policy struggles in the 1980s to virtually all politico-administra­tive domains in the 2000s. We discuss how the concept is used across, educational, professional, and political research areas. On this basis we cha­racterize it as a "floating signifier" which on the one hand is anchored in its reference to some set of skills and competencies, but simultaneously maximizes its usefulness by being able to incor­porate all, and often undefined forms of educa­tional or occupational collectives. "Faglighed" should therefore be seen as a unique alternative to professionalism or expertise, which reflects the partial repeal of the status and authority previ­ously associated with individuals' or groups' pos­session of certain knowledge claims. Ironically, the terrn's implied 'stability' hides the destabili­zation that characterizes its period of emergence, and the disagreements that persists around the skills, principles, and competences necessary for the future, and their valuation.