This article explores the normative representations of higher education students in seven films and television series from four European countries. Drawing on the concept of the 'independent learner' as an 'ideal construction', I demonstrate how these texts offer complex and at times paradoxical representations of who gets positioned as the…

In 2018, the toy manufacturer Playmobil launched a 'History Class' as an addition to its 'Furnished School Building'. The materiality of this toy, and the selection of teaching media represented in coloured plastic (a blackboard with timeline, magnifying glass, parchment roll, stone axe, posters and other sources), convey an idea of history…

This article aims at taking a look at a genre that is popular with both children and adults, yet mostly neglected in curricula: animated films. As a study conducted in a German secondary school demonstrated, the potential of this genre for Teaching English as a Foreign Language lies mostly in its strong visual language as well as its connection to…

Focusing on Lichtwark's concept of museology, this article shows what role he envisaged for art in public life at a time when the rise of mass consumption and popular culture created new lifestyles. Lichtwark's concept of artistic and aesthetic education did not only extend to museums and classrooms but also to dilettantism as a basis for…

This article explores the possibilities for effecting Transformative Learning in students of German language and culture through the use of popular music videos, in both the target and the students' own languages. Transformative Learning, a term that has differing valences in numerous academic disciplines, is employed here in its social-scientific…

In North American universities, pop culture increasingly appears in the German Studies classroom to "spice up" the curriculum. But what is conveyed and taught and how is it inserted into the curriculum and into the US cultural context? This article explores three examples of popular culture in the German Studies classroom:…

Popular music is a "lingua franca" for young people. The songs of German "Liedermacher" lend themselves to classroom uses. "Liedermacher" are cultural commentators who entertain and edify with their songs. Focusing on social and political aspects of postwar Germany, "Liedermacher" songs have been a…

Discusses changes in the history of childhood. Argues that the change was not caused by reform pedagogics, but by a movement to popular culture. Describes the functioning of a commercialized children's culture and its definition of happiness. Analyzes possible concepts of education within the framework of such learning environments. (CAJ)

Presents a case study in the praxis of "constructing childhood." Relates the history of a campaign in turn-of-the-century Germany against "filth and trash," the professed goal of which was to protect minors from the effects of penny magazines, movies, and popular songs. Presents theses on the motivation of adult campaigners.…

This paper is an introductory survey of the evolution of multiculturalism in Britain and Germany over the past two centuries. The historical approach argues that the main determinants of difference between these nation states lie in their long-term traditional attitudes towards immigrants and ethnic minorities. It focuses upon the patterns of…

Discusses the impact of a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation documentary, "The Valour and the Horror." Asserts that, although the presentation caused controversy in English-speaking Canada, it received little interest in Quebec. (CFR)

Asserts that the writers and producers of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's documentary, "The Valour and the Horror," failed to assess Canadian Air Force actions in light of Allied war aims. Argues that the documentary series distorted the era and produced a false view of history. Gives specific examples of these claims. (CFR)

Presents excerpts from the draft Statement of Claim filed by Canadian World War II veterans against the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and others associated with the making of the documentary series, "The Valour and the Horror." Includes an overview and two examples of what the plaintiffs claimed were historical errors. (CFR)

Asserts that the most significant issue related to the television documentary, "The Valour and the Horror," was not any suggested bias by the producers but the media elite's determination to control public opinion under the banner of free speech. Maintains that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation refused to allow criticism by veterans…

Children's publicness is undergoing a substantial change. "Scripts" created by the media and involving intensive consumption influence when, where, and how children's publicness occurs. Particularly important are attempts to develop new ways of integrating medial, sensual-active, body-, space- and group-related actions. This article…