'To hold the subject's territory': The Swedish Association of Biology Teachers and two curricular reforms, 1960-1965

The aim of this article is to investigate and analyse the cultural boundaries of school biology, and to a certain extent the natural science subjects in general, in two Swedish curriculum reforms, from the viewpoint of the Swedish Association of Biology Teachers (ABT). Thomas Gieryn’s concept of boundary‐work is thus used in analysing how the ABT acted to ‘hold the subject’s territory’. The ABT had substantial influence on the content of the new biology curricula, although this was sometimes achieved after internal conflict and required support from other actors, especially university biologists. Upper secondary biology had the highest status and was seen as a science, related to modern biological research and curriculum development, particularly in the USA. Despite the efforts of the ABT boundary‐work was unsuccessful in respect of the timetable; the natural science subjects were reduced both at the lower and upper secondary level, in contrast to what happened in many other Western countries.