Austrian & Hungarian comparative analysis of life reform endeavours as responses to experiences of crisis
Current social crises such as the climate crisis, radical social movements, war and violence are prompting a call for alternatives in thought and action that are at odds with the dichotomy of progress vs. regression or vital vs. material and reason vs. emotion (Latour, 2018, p. 52). Latour refers to this alternative orientation as the ‘terrestrial’, i.e. the attachment to planet Earth, the connection of all beings bound to the Earth as the origin of progress and further development. Various social movements are currently searching for such alternative forms of action – from veganism and mindfulness to Fridays for Future, the unschooling movements, communal forms of living or thematisations in art and much more. At first glance, these have similarities with the ideas and utopias in the context of life reform and reform pedagogy and their realisation in the first half of the 20th century (Vincze, Kempf & Németh 2020; Németh & Hopfner 2008; Németh, Stöckl & Vincze 2017; Buchholz 2001; Skiera, Németh & Mikonya 2006; Koerrenz 2014).
As part of the planned project, such alternative lifestyles and social experiments as well as their interactions and historical roots will be researched in more detail. The aim of the project is to gain a better understanding of the critical and productive aspects of current movements and to obtain suggestions for ways out of the current crises or ways of dealing with them.
Previous thematic focuses such as self-reform/body reform, social reforms/communities and social movements such as the women’s, youth and art movements will be taken up again from the point of view of their pedagogical implications and effects, especially on childhood and youth, schools, teacher training, professionalisation, etc., and expanded in terms of content and time.
Central questions:
What are the similarities and differences between the current reform endeavours and the historical life reform movements in Hungary and Austria?
Which lines of reception can be traced?
What options for action can be derived from the historical social and educational reform attempts for the current challenges and crises?
What differences or parallels are there between the Hungarian and Austrian reform efforts to overcome the crisis – then and now?
To what extent do current and historical currents of life reform provide starting points for totalitarian ideologies that need to be critically analysed?
Methodology:
Objective hermeneutic investigations
Reception-historical comparative content analyses of historical and current sources (quantitative and qualitative)
Network analyses
Primary sources are articles from historical and current magazines/journals and the archives in Austria and Hungary.
Students are involved from both sides in the context of final theses.
The project builds on previous research collaborations between Austria and Hungary, including the three OMAA-funded projects between the University of Graz and the Eötvös Loránd University of Budapest: Survival of Utopias (2015-2016), Pedagogical and Cultural Currents in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (2006-2007) and Reform Pedagogy and Life Reform in Central Europe (2005-2006). Monarchy (2006-2007) and Reform Pedagogy and Life Reform in Central Europe (2005-2006). In addition, between 2018 and 2019, an exhibition entitled „Hidden Stories. Life reform movement and arts” was organised at the Kunsthalle in Budapest between 2018 and 2019, which was rounded off in 2020 with an international conference and an anthology (Vincze, Kempf & Németh 2020).
In the course of the Austro-Hungarian research cooperation, which has now been in existence for around 20 years, a wide range of knowledge has already been gained – conferences have been organised with more than a hundred lectures, which have now been published in various study volumes. This co-operation is to be continued and expanded within the framework of this project.
Selection of the most important joint publications:
- Vincze, Beatrix, Kempf, Katalin & Németh András (Eds.) (2020): Hidden Stories – the Life Reform Movements and Art. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Verlag.
- Németh, András, Stöckl, Claudia & Vincze, Beatrix (eds.) (2017): Survival of Utopias – Utopias that live on. Life Reform und Progressive Education in Austria and Hungary – Lebensreform und Reformpädagogik in Österreich und Ungarn. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang Verlag.
- Németh, András & Pirka, Veronika (eds.) (2014): Továbbélő utópiák (Utopias that live on). Budapest: Gondolat.
- Németh, András & Hopfner, Johanna (eds.) (2008): Pedagogical currents in the k. u. k. Monarchy. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.
Further reference literature:
- Buchholz, Kai (2001). Die Lebensreform. Entwürfe zur Neugestaltung von Leben und Kunst um 1900, 2 Bände. Darmstadt: Verlag Häusser.
- Koerrenz, Ralf (2014). Reformpädagogik. Eine Einführung. Paderborn: Schöningh.
- Latour, Bruno (2018). Das terrestrische Manifest. Frankfurt am M.: Suhrkamp.
- Skiera Ehrenhard, Németh András & Mikonya György (Hrsg.) (2006): Reformpädagogik und Lebensreform in Mitteleuropa. Budapest: Gondolat Kiadó.
Work programme with implementation plan, with project team
The project team consists of two project groups: 9 people in Hungary and 3 people in Austria. The duration of the project is 1 year.
5-10 students (BA, MA, PhD) can participate in the project.
Timetable
1st phase – three months (January 2025 to March 2025)
Distribution of tasks, project coordination, collection and indexing of sources, concretisation of the research projects. Information dissemination to the participants by the project management (especially to the students and doctoral candidates who would like to work on the project as part of their final theses). To this end, an online meeting will be organised by the project managers in Budapest, in which the people involved in the project can get to know each other and in which the project plan will be differentiated.
In addition, a website will be created for the project (technical responsibility: Budapest project team).
2nd phase – three months (April 2025 to June 2025)
Continuous expansion of the data basis. Preparation of contributions for the workshop in Graz.
Workshop of the research group in Graz: Organisation of a symposium in Graz with 15-20 participants with initial and preliminary presentations of results including discussion of the partial results.
Information and interim results are published on the website (the Graz project team is responsible for the content).
3rd phase – three months (July 2025 to September 2025)
Review and consolidation of the research results to date;
Online meeting of the project leaders to organise the final conference in Budapest.
Dissemination of the research results in the form of a conference in Budapest with approx. 25-30 people. The Hungarian project team is responsible for the organisation. Information and results will be published on the website (responsibility: project leaders).
4th phase – three months (October 2025 to December 2025)
The results will be evaluated by both sides. An online meeting is planned for this purpose, which will be organised by Hungary and ELTE PPK.
Preparation of the final report for the AKTION Austria-Hungary; preparation of the publications, which are to appear in an anthology. Peer reviews of the individual contributions.
Expected project results
Two online meetings, a workshop/workshop in Graz and a conference in Budapest.
A website for the publication of the project results
Preparation of an online study volume with approx. 15 contributions published by Peter Lang Verlag, publication of partial results in other publications.
Dissemination of the results
The research results will be formulated and publicised through two online meetings as well as a workshop and a conference in presence. The project website, the publications and the anthology will ensure the dissemination of the research results. In addition to this dissemination, the joint project makes it possible to maintain and deepen the long-standing Hungarian & Austrian research partnership.
Project team in Hungary from ELTE:
Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Institute of Educational Science, Research Group for Historical-Theoretical and Comparative Pedagogy, Doctoral School of Educational Science
Dr habil. Vincze Beatrix, Prof. Dr Németh András Professor Emeritus, Dr Földi Renáta, Dr Balogh Brigitta (Pető András Faculty, Semmelweis University, Dr Polyák Zsuzsanna (Kodály Institute, Kecskemét), Dr Pethő Villő, Szegeder University and Albrecht Zsófia, Kempf Katalin, Nagy Barbara PhD students, Eötvös University
Project team in Austria / University College of Teacher Education Styria (Graz):
University College of Teacher Education Styria, Centre for University Didactics and Personnel Development and Institute for Educational Sciences
HS-Prof.in Priv.-Doz.in Dr.in Claudia Stöckl, Dr Agnes Trattner, Dr Magdalena Kraler,
Univ.-Prof.in Dr.in Johanna Hopfner, University of Graz, Institute for Educational Sciences.