Review Essay: Sum and Desiderata of Biographical Research in the Science of Education

Abstract

The 1999 publication of "Handbuch erziehungswissenschaftliche Biographieforschung" ["Handbook of Biographical Research in the Science of Education"] by the editors KRÜGER and MAROTZKI replaces the 1995 version, "Erziehungswissenschaftliche Biographieforschung" ["Biographical Research in the Science of Education"] by the same editors. This latest edition offers an up-to-date and in-depth overview on the state of research about the status and perspectives of Biographical Studies in the Science of Education. To this end, the basic theoretical topics, some methodological questions as well as a variety of approaches in the fields of Pedagogy of life's phases are compiled and supplemented by an overview of the possibilities as well as the perspectives of biographical research in eight different sub-disciplines of the Science of Education. I will present an overview and thumbnail sketch of the content and, in conclusion, I will formulate some user requirements for a possible follow up volume as well. These include a more user-friendly index, a clarifying explanation on the indistinct borderline between educational scientific and sociological biographical research, and, respectively, independent chapters on the history of this course of research. In addition, I will discuss the state of autobiographical studies within biographical research in the science of education as well as its (de) constructivistic dimensions and contribution to gender discourse. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0204376