LFU:online

The aim of this class is to reflect upon today’s schoolification of childhood and youth. In this regard the class will (1) bring to mind the historical context of the emergence of this schoolification, (2) discuss the structure of general and vocational education, and (3) ask, whether this structure is still reasonable to date.

In modern societies, childhood and youth are enormously characterized by pedagogical institutions like school. Why is it so, and since when? In this seminar we will reflect upon the historical context of the emergence of the modern schooling system, foremost by discussing the theory of education laid out by Wilhelm von Humboldt. We will discuss Humboldt’s basic considerations about education and state as well as his plan for the reform of the Prussian educational system in which he introduced the idea of lifelong learning and the distinction between general and vocational education. It will become clear that today’s schoolification of childhood and youth is based on a problem which emerges out of the insight (1) that all human beings have a right to education, but (2) that it is not possible to know in advance in which ways different individuals will develop. This seminar will also ask whether Humboldt’s ideas are still reasonable to date.

Introduction by the lecturer, presentations by the students, group work.

Ongoing collaboration, presentations, seminar paper

A bibliography will be made available at the beginning of the course

Anglophone literature will be used; appropriate language competence is expected.

http://www.uibk.ac.at/fakultaeten/bildungswissenschaften/studium-und-lehre/fuer_studierende/2014/mattig.html