What is the history and global impact of boarding schools? Often on the podcast we have talked about the British boarding schools. Today we are starting to venture further afield.

In speaking with Petter Sandgren, who is a Professor of Education at the University of Stockholm, we start to explore the history of boarding schools and what the impact is of boarding school on the world.

What is the difference between the UK and the rest of the world regarding boarding schools. Are they the same?

We also have a fascinating discussion about character building at boarding schools. What has character building been historically at boarding school? What did the children do to each other to "build character"? And what can we do to change this?

He also talks about Tom Brown's Schooldays and how this was the bible for many of the budding boarding schools around the world. "How do we act, treat children, teach? Look at Tom Brown's Schooldays."

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Petter Sandgren has an MA in Education and an MA in History from Umeå University, and an MA and a PhD in History from the European University Institute in Florence, Italy. In 2015 Sandgren published the first book – Internatskolorna – in a planned trilogy on elites in modern-day Sweden. In 2017 he defended his doctoral thesis Globalising Eton: A Transnational History of Elite Boarding Schools since 1799.

Sandgren has previously taught history of education and European studies at Uppsala University and Lund University before joining the Department of Education at Stockholm University in the fall of 2016. Sandgren’s research interests include transnational and comparative approaches to the history of modern and contemporary Europe, as well as history and sociology of education; the history of European integration; history and sociology of elites and the upper classes.

Questions and topics that we talk about:

1. I would love for you to share some of your journey and how you got passionate in the subject of the elites and upper classes and how they are educated?
2. Could you speak a little about the history of global elite boarding schools?
3. Your thesis is called Globalising Eton. How much of an impact has Eton and the other English boarding schools had on the rest of the world? Has that impact been positive or negative?
4. Could you please talk about leadership training. In your experience what is it that these elite boarding schools teach about leadership?
5. Would you say that these schools have changed?
6. What are the ideas that these elite boarding schools are trying to emulate?
7. In your opinion what might the impact be on the rest of the world if the leaders have been educated in this way?
8. Anything else that you would like to share?
   

#historyofboardingschools #globalisingeton #eton #globalboardingschool #eliteeducation

To read Petter's thesis, Globalising Eton please download it here: https://cadmus.eui.eu/bitstream/handle/1814/46566/Sandgren_2017.pdf?sequence=1

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An Evolving Man (AEM) Podcast is for men (and women) who want to grow, evolve and want support in learning how to do this.

On a regular basis there will be an interview around men's (and women's) topics ranging from self-development, relationships, spirituality, archetypes, trauma, boarding school syndrome and men's work featuring authors and leaders in this field.

The sense with these interviews is to support people during these times of change. What are the teachings, tools and practices that you can use to help you through these turbulent times?