Since the 1980s, right-wing extremism, radicalism, and populism have emerged as transformative forces in European politics. This unexpected resurgence has triggered an interdisciplinary scholarly effort to refine our understanding of the far right. Educationalists, however, have largely been absent from this endeavour, leaving us unable to…

This article combines the perspective of transnational transfer with contributions from social theory and historical sociology -- specifically the Luhmannian concept of social 'inclusion'. In doing so, this article reconstructs a historical case regarding the conflicting implementation of universal conscription and compulsory schooling in Chile in…

Compared with England, where new implementations and programmes in the education system are often introduced at a striking pace, the German education system seems to be rather stable in its features and less dynamic in terms of reform and change. Hence, a phenomenon called "reform bottleneck" ("Reformstau") has often been…

After the Second World War, the British, American and French believed education could be used to promote democracy in Germany. The Western powers faced particular difficulties with the field of physical education because of the strong Nazi influence in this area during the Third Reich. The premier pre-war physical education teacher training…

Individually experienced demands of current social change in the domains of work and family were assessed in a large sample of adults from two Western and two Eastern federal states of Germany. For each domain of life, a cumulated index was computed representing the load with highly endorsed demands and this was compared across political regions,…

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…

The negotiation of a West German identity in the decades that followed World War II can be traced in the issues and movements that preoccupied the populace. These in turn are documented in the work of socially and politically motivated "Liedermacher". Songs thus serve as a point of entry for students into how Germans saw themselves in…

Analyzes the economic and political responses to the Great Depression of the 1930s in Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Britain. States that economic policies had little direct effect on the survivability of governments during the 1930s. Concludes that processes of national consensus formation determined the survival or…

In a discussion of the attempts of the organized workers' photography movement in Weimar Germany to redirect the use of photographs in everyday life, this paper analyzes photographs published in the "Arbeiter-Illustrierte-Zeitung," (AIZ) a large and successful picture magazine that emphasized a left-wing, humanitarian approach. The paper…

Political, economic, and social explanations of higher education reform, and the very definition of "reform," are the main departure points of this volume. The introduction uses the examples of Canada, Austria, Germany, and Japan to show that in all these countries, reform has meant reduced state funding and control and increased…

Synthesizes the theoretical implications of the studies presented in this issue on social repercussions of a unified Germany, highlighting the effects of economic and political change on women, families, and youth, and their relevance for cultural-historical theories of human development. (JW)

Interviewed 1,708 East and West German adolescents to study similarities and differences in their psychosocial transitions. Found that females generally underwent transitions earlier than males. East German youths conceived of the transition to work and displayed autonomy earlier than West German youth, but the overall timetable of transitions…

Illustrates the role of the family in linking sociopolitical changes to adolescent development by outlining some differences in structures of families of East and West Germany. Synthesizes survey data on this topic. Areas discussed include family formation, unmarried couples and parents, maternal employment, public child care, divorce and…

Three child care experts in east Berlin report on the impact of German reunification on child care in Germany, and in east Berlin in particular. (BG)

Reports on a review of brochures and catalogs from postsecondary institutions in the former East and West Germany. Finds that East German institutions emphasized regional-historical links, client orientation, and stylized over orientation; that West German institutions emphasize pluralism, public responsibility, and a "variety/fun"…