The Genetic Principle as a Link between Everyday Knowledge and Politics - The Art-of-Teaching Workshop about the Topic „Future“

Abstract

This article demonstrates, how didactics of social sciences can turn its focus from theoretical conceptions to the arrangement of learning processes. It simulates a best practice ("Lehrkunst") workshop (I.1.) which compares seven teaching units about the key topic "future" (I.2.). Two typical problems become concrete: exchangeable topics and the transfer to abstract categories. The genetic principle is introduced as a possible remedy: It combines categories with concepts and chooses special topics ("exemplars") that involve students in processes of discovery (II.3.). The concept "future" (Prognosis – Utopia – Political Planning) (I.4.) can be taught in several genetic ways: concentrating on the student's political ideas (individual genesis, II.1.), on the development of scientific findings and social inventions (scientific genesis and genesis of ideas, II.2.), on the simulation of political processes in "embryonic societies" (spontaneous or institutional genesis, II.3.), on the establishment of social innovations and on the historical development of political ideas (historical and human genesis, both II.4.). Conclusion: The genetic principle appears to be a helpful instrument for developing the core curriculum of civic education (II.5.)