Recently in Germany the question of gender-inclusive language has become another front in the culture wars. Headlines portray these linguistic innovations as disruptive and unnecessary while politicians across Germany have moved to ban or restrict certain types of inclusive language. In this research article, I analyze the representations of…

International comparative ethnographic studies of ECEC (Early Childhood Education and Care) are difficult to conduct but worth the effort. Comparative studies featuring thick description and polysemic interpretations can challenge taken-for-granted assumptions, expand the menu of the possible, expose the provincialism of national approaches, and…

This article is inspired by a recent call for the establishment of "alliances for inter- and transdisciplinarity" issued by Julie Thompson Klein (2021) in this journal. Previously, in 2016, "Issues in Interdisciplinary Studies" published a Special Section devoted to Latin American experiences in interdisciplinarity and…

At the heart of the nineteenth-century educational soundscape lies a paradox. Whilst "modern" classrooms generally strived for orderly silence, the goal of its educational practices was the production of competent "citizens". Middle-class boys in particular were expected to acquire a voice fit for business, the professions, or…

This paper is concerned with the transformation of the field of early education in Germany. It poses the question whether these changes can be generally related to the German concept of "Bildung"--as denoting the children's autonomous activity of engaging themselves and the world. Investigating film material on practices of documentation…

As detailed in the articles throughout this issue, the U.S. education system experienced a number of structural developments throughout the 20th century. These changes served to shift the landscape of decision-making authority in multiple areas of primary and secondary schooling. This article provides an international perspective on the changes…

Compares the reeducation efforts of post-war Germany with the role played by education supporting the German reunification with East Germany. Examines parallels involving autonomy and self-determination with the earlier Bavarian controversy. Concludes that Western-style educational reforms alone will not be able to create pluralistic societies in…