The Change of Interpretation of the Concept of "Educational Relations" in H. Giesecke's "The End of Education"

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to make it clear how the concept of "educational relations" was re-interpreted theoretically by H. Giesecke in his little learned work "The End of Education." The discussions on the postmodern in pedagogy that became particularly active in the German pedagogical world from the mid-1980s on, generated an even more radical criticism of pedagogy. References to the technological deficiencies of pedagogical science as well as antipedagogical movements developed in this context. In such a situation, in 1985 Giesecke wrote the above-mentioned work. According to Giesecke, mass media, particularly television eroded the dividing line between childhood and adulthood. The reason is that television provides everyone, simultaneously, with the same information in a form that is undifferentiated in its accessibility. And the electric media found it impossible to withhold any secrets. Without secrets, of course, there can be no such thing as childhood. For the background of the disappearance of childhood, Giesecke propounded the theory of the end of education and changed theoretically the way of comprehending the concept of educational relations. In short, he regarded an adult not as a representative but as an official. And then he made much of the socializing function of same age groups rather than the personal and responsible relations of an adult to a child. Added to these, he regarded a child as a miniature adult. But as U. Herrmann acutely pointed out, his view is quite unsatisfactory.