Institutional learning

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The institutionenkundliche learning or institutional customer is based on the assumption that the political education institutions must broach, to meet the political reality.

Institutional studies are an important area of ​​responsibility in political education . However, since 1960 the majority of political didactics turned away from this. This was justified by the fact that mere institutional studies, on the one hand, neglected the interests and goals of the students and, on the other hand, misunderstood the process and action character of political and social decisions. As a result, Peter Massing states a very one-sided political education.

As a justification for an intensification of institutional studies in political lessons, the proponents argue that many young people now view institutions from a distance and do not know their meaning, purpose and areas of responsibility. Political reality is characterized by complexity and complexity and therefore needs an education that includes all aspects of the political. As a result, institutional studies have increasingly moved back into the center of political education.

concept

Institutional learning asks how the relevant topics can be integrated into political lessons. In terms of content, it must be determined what political and social institutions are and what tasks they perform. The learning process is then to be organized via the didactics and the political objectivity to be linked with the life-world subjectivity of the students.

Definition of terms institution

In the social sciences, institutions are used as a theory-building term. So far there is no precise definition or common understanding.

Narrow sense

Here, “institutions” primarily means the state , government ( head of state , ministries , cabinet ), parliament , administration , courts and federal and communal institutions.

Wider sense

Here one speaks of social organizations ( non-governmental organizations , associations, mass media , parties ) and legally standardized, binding patterns of behavior ( constitution , laws, elections , majority principle ). Generally, these are control systems that are used to make and implement generally binding decisions.

Functions

Human behavior is structured by institutions and behavioral patterns such as elections are temporarily consolidated. Addressees of institutions who have internalized their mode of operation have expectations that they align with the purpose of this institution. In their character, institutions are supra-personal and regulative.

Requirements for institutional learning

In the following, the most important areas of responsibility for institutional learning are presented.

sense

Institutions have a context of meaning. It is about the objectification of the meaning meant in interactions. Since many citizens no longer know the purpose, value and prerequisites for the existence of these institutions, the consistency and continuity of institutions can no longer be guaranteed. Institutional learning must therefore first and foremost make it clear to the students that institutions constitute meaning, i.e. are based on an idea. Likewise, students should understand that the actions and factual actions of an institution can be measured against its idea.

Interest and domination aspects

Institutions are man-made, so they are revisable and renewable. On the one hand, they serve to satisfy interests and, on the other, to enforce wishes, values ​​and attitudes. They can also be viewed from a rulership perspective. Institutions can be analyzed based on their interests. From a historical perspective, Karl Rohe states : Institutions are conglomerated interests. Political institutionalization has always been a means of realizing social interests. The inclusion of the manorial perspective is just as important. If one looks at institutions under the assumption that any interest has a partial character, one must assume that institutionalization in the historical course of societies has been a conflictual process of constitutionalization through domination. The empirical analysis of the interests and power aspects of institutions is the basis of every institutional critique. The question of whether, where and why institutions are no longer sufficient, reformed, further developed or supplemented by new ones, can only be answered by politics lessons once the aforementioned aspects have been examined in more detail, concludes Bernhard Sutor .

Political Dimensions

The dimensions of politics always include form, content, and process. So politics is always three-dimensional. It is an event in which activities or processes ( politics ) take place within the framework of fixed forms ( polity ) for the purpose of realizing certain content ( policy ) . These dimensions stand in mutual correspondence and tension. Institutional learning can only be justified didactically if it is methodically successful in class to relate political institutions as part of the polity dimension to processes ( politics ) and content ( policy ). This is the only way to adequately experience the complexity of political reality for the students and convey it to them.

Didactic principles

Development strategies for institutional learning should be presented using the following four didactic principles. The top priority for all of them is the orientation towards the life of the students.

Experience orientation

The everyday world of the pupils is to be connected with politics via experience- based orientation. The subject-related access is directly linked to the student's environment. There is a bridge from the microcosm to macrocosm beaten. Didactically, the students are put into a task-related situation within their microcosm in connection with institutions. The object-related approach presents the students with a central political institution and brings it into the experience of the students. The students learn to what extent they are affected by institutions. Institutions should be understood in this way despite their distance and abstraction.

Problem orientation

Institutions cannot in themselves be the subject of political education. In order to understand them, a specific problem is required - one or more controversies to be analyzed as examples ( problem orientation ). These are analyzed and made available to the students. On the basis of political decision-making processes, functions and structures can then be developed. The question of the context as well as aspects of interests and domination also play a role here. In addition, the role of the institution must be clarified in terms of its content and process dimensions. The pupil's perspective varies depending on the point of view between that of an addressee, affected person, actor or political actor.

Internal orientation

The main focus is on the actors and their perspectives within an institution. The students deal with their actions, analyze their attitudes, interests and motives. Scope for action and institutional constraints are made tangible in this way. Suitable methods are business games, simulations or case studies that convey direct contact via the actor's perspective.

Action orientation

In terms of content, action orientation describes the precise observation of the actions of the institutions and that of the actors within the institutions. Action orientation as the goal of political education means enabling students to develop institutions for themselves. In terms of method, it aims to increasingly use teaching methods that activate students.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ cf. Massing 1999.
  2. ↑ cf. Gille / Krüger 2000.
  3. ↑ Göhler 1987, 18
  4. ↑ Czada 2002, 354ff
  5. ^ Gagel 1989, 83
  6. ↑ Greven 1983, 519
  7. ↑ Rohe 1994, 39
  8. ^ Sutor 1990, 326
  9. ↑ Scharpf 1985, 164
  10. ↑ Deichmann 1999, 239
  11. ^ Grammes 1995.
  12. ^ Deichmann 1999, 233
  13. ↑ Grammes 1994, 183

literature

  • R. Czada: Institutions / Institutional Theory Approaches. In: Dieter Nohlen: Lexicon of Political Science. Munich 2002.
  • C. Deichmann: Institutional Studies. In: W. Mickel (Ed.): Handbook for political education. Bonn 1999, pp. 231-236.
  • W. Gagel: Renaissance of Institutional Studies? Didactic approaches for integrating institutional studies into political lessons. In: Contemporary Studies. H. 3, 1989, pp. 387-418.
  • M. Gille: Dissatisfied Democrats. Political orientations of the 16-29 year olds in the united Germany. Opladen 2000.
  • G. Göhler: Basic questions of the theory of political institutions. Opladen 1987.
  • T. Grammes: Bridges from the micro to the macro world. In: Massing / Weißeno 1995, pp. 510-525.
  • P. Massing: Paths to the Political. In: Massing / Weißeno, 1995, pp. 61-98.
  • P. Massing: Institutional Studies. In: Weißeno / Richter (ed.): Lexicon of political education. Volume 1: Didactics and School. Schwalbach / Ts. 1999, pp. 111-114.
  • J. Raschke: On the revision of institutional studies. In: Contemporary Studies ,. H. 3, 1975, pp. 269-288.
  • K. Rohe: Politics. Concepts and realities. 2nd Edition. Stuttgart / Berlin / Cologne 1994.
  • U. Sarcinelli: Political Institutions, Political Science and Political Education. Reflections on an enlightened "institutionalism". In: From Politics and Contemporary History. Volume 50, 1991, pp. 41-53.
  • B. Sutor: Institutions and Political Ethics. In: M. Mols: Normative and institutional problems of the modern state. Festschrift for Manfred Hättich's 60th birthday. Paderborn 1990, pp. 311-327.