*** BARRY J. HAKE, FRANCOISE F. LAOT (Editors): The Social Question and Adult Education - La question sociale et l'éducation des adultes. European Perspectives in the 19th an 20th Centuries - Perspectives européennes XIXe - XXe siècles. Peter Lang (1 Moosstrasse, CH-2542 Pieterlen, Switzerland. Tel: (41-32) 3761717 - fax: 3761727 - Email: info@peterlang.com - Internet: http://www.peterlang.com ). "European Studies in Lifelong Learning and Adult Learning Research" series, No. 4. 2009, 208 pp., €39.70. ISBN 978-3-631-57632-8.
The “social question” is no longer an acutely burning issue these days, at least not in our literature. The concept was very much in vogue during the egregious times when people lived in the most abject poverty, which is difficult to imagine today. It was during this era that Blanqui provided the following description in 1849 of the cellars in Lille, where around 3000 working class households were left rotting, “the windows and doors of the rooms open onto disgusting passageways at the end of which railings hang horizontally over cesspools which serve as public lavatories during the day and night. On entering this complex of courtyards, a strange throng of emaciated, hunched, underdeveloped children, pale but grubby converge on the visitor, asking him for alms. Most of these unfortunate children are practically naked and those who are best protected from the elements are covered in rags. These children, at least, breathe in the outside air and it is only at the furthest end of the cellars that one is able to ascertain the suffering of those of the same age but for whom the rigours of the season prevent from venturing outside. More often than not, they sleep on the ground, on the debris of rapeseed straw, on dried up potato skins strewn across the floor, on sand…”
It is on this… terrain that the French Revolution and the increasing importance of the question of “citizenship” took root in a Europe caught up in the initial throes of the process of industrialisation, together with the different and gradual developments in different forms of education for the “people” and the “labouring classes”. In their preface, the editors of this book point out that educational initiatives were very quickly and increasingly in conflict, “with philanthropic or religious initiatives by the bourgeoisie or scholars from the middling ranks, who sought to organise education for the toiling masses”, opposing, “ education for workers and their wives being organised as a way of progressively affirming the right of the working class to organise their own education independently”. Subsequently, social education and that of the citizen became and remained a confrontational theme until very late in the 1900s and pitted the different concepts against each other about how adults should be taught with regard to the changes introduced by industrialisation and its impact on their lives, in order for them to take their place within this world and if necessary, take action to change it. Given that these concepts were developed by way of competing ideologies, conservative movements and anarchist groups fought over the issue of what adult education should consist of and no convergence of views on the question was forthcoming. In this situation, “an important period of development in the adult education movements occurred on a European scale”, as explained by this book, which is an extension of a university seminar at the Sorbonne in June 2006 on the, “inter-cultural influences in the history of adult education in Europe”. This event brought researchers together from eight European countries, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland.
Are the national examples examined in the different contributions in this book still of practical relevance when the Union no longer has anything to do with the different countries in Europe on this question any more? Some people obviously have doubts about this. Barry J. Hake and Françoise F. Laot, for example, explain that the charitable identity of adult education practices based on the idea of learning together in solidarity deserves to be further explored in order to, “clarify the fundamentals of the idea of bringing education and training together at a local level and which are often put forward in current European Union documents, as well is in their long history of education and lifelong training throughout Europe”. This does not mean ignoring the fact that other ideologies are perhaps currently being developed, as explained by Gilles Pinte (University of Bretagne Sud) when he asks whether education and training are being reduced to vocational objectives at the expense of the individual and collective concerns of individuals. As in the past, certain commentators obviously prefer to see adult education as an “an adapted subject” rather than an, “agent of change”. As the beginning of the 21st century takes shape and whilst the elements of socio-economic post war compromise are increasingly questioned, can economic imperatives really be allowed to triumph unopposed? This remains to be seen…
Pierre Bouvier
*** MIRJA-TYTTI TALIB, JYRKI LOIMA, HEINI PAAVOLA, SANNA PATRIKAINEN (Editors): Dialogs on Diversity and Global Education. Editions Peter Lang (see address attached). 2009, 205 pp. €27.90. ISBN 978-3-631-58806-2.
This book addresses themes of culture, ethnicity and diversity in the different education systems in the world. With the persistent acceleration experienced in the world of information exchange and the fact that human beings are being brought closer together through increasingly more efficient modes of transport, concepts such as multiculturalism or inter-culturalism, are now frequently subjects for the classroom throughout the world. Interpretation of these questions will always largely depend on the culture of those doing the interpreting. The authors of this book are all university specialists in multicultural education and they put forward a number of essays in which the themes are tackled from a variety of different points of view. Firstly, they analyse what these concepts represent in northern Europe, North America and Asia. They then present a number of different education experiences on these subjects in schools in the three regions. Other contributions in this book also emphasise the central role of teachers in helping to make the theme of multiculturalism an interesting theme for all students given that it is they who will be tackling differences in their classrooms and determining how these concepts are accepted or rejected by society.
(NDu)
*** MATTHIAS BÜRGEL, ANDREAS UMLAND (Editors): Geistes- und sozialwissenschaftliche Hochschullehre in Osteuropa IV. Chancen und Hindernisse internationaler Bildungskooperation. Peter Lang publications (see address attached). 2009, 307 pp, €46.50. ISBN 978-3-631-57136-1.
Higher education colleges and universities in Europe were banned from having anything to do with each other for decades, due to the political and ideological differences between East and West. Following the collapse of the communist regimes in Eastern Europe, reforms of the education systems took off and led to the first trans-European academic exchange schemes. After more than 25 years of exchanges, the authors of this book attempt to learn the lessons and identify the progress accomplished by this opening up. The different authors also provide an insight into the role played by certain fundamental elements, such as stereotypes or the way in which higher education colleges in Eastern Europe are structured. The book is divided into four major chapters, which each include three or four articles. These chapters contain sections on the domestic educational landscape and education opportunities offered abroad, Russia as an integral part of the European education area, co-operation opportunities and intercultural meetings.
(JD)
*** LISA K. CHILDRESS: The Twenty-First Century University. Developing Faculty Engagement in Internationalization. Editions Peter Lang (see address attached). "Complicated Conversation" series, No. 32. 2010, 174 pp. €21.20. ISBN 978-1-4331-0659-0.
Over recent decades, several writers and university presidents are expressed their wish to make the institutions they are in charge of more international in an effort to prepare students for the global world in the 21st century. Nonetheless, according to several studies, it would appear that these appeals for greater emphasis on internationalisation have remained at a stage of good intentions and have never gone beyond the domain of rhetoric. The goal of this book was inspired by a consultant in international affairs who had been active in several universities in the US and Japan. It sheds light on the obstacles preventing the transposition from rhetoric into reality. With this in mind Lisa Childress examines the academic institutions, two universities in the US, Duke University and Richmond University, which have succeeded in putting into practice this internationalisation process and subsequently learn a number of lessons that could be applied in other specific areas.
(NDu)
*** Étudier ou enseigner à l'étranger 2011 - 2012. Wallonia-Brussels International (2 place Sainctelette, B-1080 Brussels. Tel: (32-2) 4218211 - fax: 4218787 - Email: wbi@wbi.be - Internet: http://www.wbi.be ). 2009, 178 pp. This brochure is published by the Wallonia-Brussels French-speaking Community department and aims to provide a certain number of ideas to young people attracted by the idea of studying or working abroad. This guide can be freely consulted on the Internet (http://www.wbi.be/etudierouensuigner ).
(PBo)
*** CHRISTINE SCHEUNERT: Europäischer Jugendschutz für das Fernsehen. Editions Peter Lang (see address attached). "Studien zum deutschen und europäischen Medienrecht" series, No. 38. 2009, 405 pp., €63.40. ISBN 978-3-631-586230-5.
New technologies, as well as the creation of the common market in Europe, have led to increased Tele-visual choice for European citizens and our youngest citizens have not been the most recent benefactors of this significant development. Union member states have all implemented legislation to protect our youngest citizens from the dangers that this increasing choice can provoke. The European Treaty, Articles 55 and 47, as well as Directive 89/522/EEC on Tele-visual activities contained certain elements requiring the Union and its members to put in place legislation to attain this objective. This book contains an analysis of European media law (first part) and the transposition of Directive 89/522/EEC into national law (second part). The most innovative elements in the book can be found in the third and final part in which the author analyses the shortcomings of the current system for protecting young people against possible dangers in Tele-visual content. The final part also contains certain proposals for improving current legislation.
(JD)
*** RICHARD HELWIG: Die Kompetenz der Europäischen Gemeinschaft zur Schaffung eines europäischen Medienkonzentrationsrecths. Peter Lang, (see address attached). "Schriften zum Medien-,Urheber- und Wirtschaftsrecht" series, No. 6. 2009, 300 pp. €55.90. ISBN 978-3-631-59720-0.
The freedom of expression is the basis of any democracy. The right of free competition in the press environment is therefore a prerequisite in order to enable different opinions to be expressed. In the European process, competition policy takes on a fundamental importance in an effort to develop a European market free from any barriers. It is also one of the most developed policies existing in this process. The freedom of expression, which particularly guarantees the right of efficient competition, as well as progress in this arena at a European level over the past twenty years, is inextricably linked to and significantly impacts upon the state of democracy at the European level and in member states, to the extent that European law prevails over its national legal equivalent.
In this book, Richard Helwig explores the effects of this European harmonisation, particularly with regard to monopolies in the media and the specific ramifications that this has in Germany. The major question tackled in this book focuses on the efficiency of European legislation, which is aimed at guaranteeing genuine diversity of opinion throughout the world's press. The author also examines the question in light of the innovations introduced by the Lisbon Treaty.
The book is divided into five chapters. The first provides an introduction to the subject examined and in it the author explains the objectives of competition law in the domain of the media, as well as its scope and economic importance. The second chapter concentrates on media related competition law in federal Germany and the author also looks at the question of whether national press companies can be governed by international law. The three following chapters focus on European competition law in the press arena. The first provides an introduction to European law in this domain, whilst the following chapter presents a legal analysis of the Union's remit in the area of competition law and its application in the member states. The fifth and final chapter focuses on the changes brought about by the Treaty of Lisbon in this area.
(JD)
*** DIMITRI DROSHOUT (Editor): Cases, Materials and Text on Consumer Law. Hart Publishing (16C Worcester Place, Oxford, OX1 2JW, UK. Tel: (44-1865) 517530 - fax: 510710 - Email: mail@hartpub.co.uk - Internet: http://www.hartpub.co.uk ). "Ius Commune Casebooks for the Common Law of Europe". 2010, 597 pp. ISBN 978-184113-749-0.
This book has been put together by a variety of different legal specialists, most of whom come from the University of Leuven. It explores a number of legal decisions made in the area of consumer law and aims to shed light on the shared origins of the different legal systems in member states and, for the most part, covers the private legal domain, particularly consumer protection but also areas such as the application of different laws. Given the importance of harmonisation through directives and other regulations, this book contains a lot of material derived from Community law, such as decisions made by the European Court of Justice. Its authors seek to examine the different existing concepts in member state legal systems when the European Court of Justice interprets directives set out by the European Commission and how the different courts incorporate these concepts from these directives into the different national legal systems.
(NDu)