DIE Zeitschrift für Erwachsenenbildung

The article describes the project „Deutscher Bildungsserver” which is working as a meta-server to supply users with an information system of relevant data in the field of education, adult and further education. The internet is offering big quantities of information and the chance to build up complex documents. Both make it more difficult to select and evaluate information. The „Deutscher Bildungsserver” incorporates information critically bringing it into an order making it easier for users to find their way through the flood of information.The ar ticle investigates the field of men’s studies, it’s development as a discipline of research and it‘s actual position in science. The authors make a difference between men‘s studies as a gender-specific approach, and ”critical men’s studies” including selfreflection as well as critical view of sciences. Both approaches are described as parts of gender research and as cross-section task for all scientific disciplines. Presented are examples of new studies and the use of findings of men‘s studies for education and learning of adults.

The author describes and evaluates actual streamings of men’s studies at the background – and as a result – of the history and development of women’s studies. Ursula Müller’s main questions are: How is gender construction defined by men’s studies? Is it critical research in the sense of social criticism and self reflection? Her answer: It depends on the author. The position of Ursula Müller is grounding on the concept of Robert W. Connell’s plaedoyer for taking serious men as a specific social group as well as research issue without loosing the focus to women, women’s movement and women’s studies. The future belongs to gender-cooperative research.

The author describes the education and development of men as a hot topic in social offside between dominant masculinity, marginalised movement of man and aspiring women’s education and development. The historical and political starting points for men’s education are different to those of women’s education: Men have to become conscious of the need of giving up private and public privileges while women are profiting of their grandmothers’ successful fights for equality. Various resistances against men’s education in the fields of politics and education are focused as well as the perspectives of education of men in science and practice.

Gender mainstreaming is gaining relevance in gender and equality policy. But gender democracy means not only equal rights and chances of men and women but also the depart from hegemonial virility as a dominant social structural principle. This political target is far from being reached. Education under the perspective of gender democracy should be orientated at the ”new man”. – The article is the answer of the (male) author to three questions for the understanding, the development and the most important tasks of gender democracy now and in the future. The identic questions are answered by Barbara Stiegler in the next article.

The article is the answer of the (female) author to three questions for the understanding, the development and the most
important tasks of gender democracy now and in the future. The actual development of gender democracy as a political
target is seen critically by Barbara Stiegler similar to the view of Peter Döge. But at the field of education gender democracy
has to be understood as a target in general. Gender mainstreaming as an integrative educational task and issue
presupposes gender knowledge and gender competence including the knowledge of women’s, men’s and gender studies.
This applies to all contents of education, in particular to those of economical, political, technical, cultural and comunicative
education.

In order to reach real equality of men and women it is necessary to substitute not only women but also men and fathers
in their role as an ”active” father in family, society and professional life. The article describes education of fathers as a
relatively new form of adult and further education focusing the consequences of social change processes and orientating
by biographical transitions as there are pregnancy, bir th preparation, to be familiar with the role of parents, separation
and divorce etc. The author points out practically oriented root positions and prepositions of successful father education
programs.

The article describes reasons, targets, elements and areas of applications of the concept of gender democratic didactics in adult education. The author investigates prepositions and consequences to pedagogical acting, methodical structuring and basic conditions of educational processes. Finally the concept of gender democratic didactics must not stop in front of the institutional structures. Gender perspective should become part of quality management and organisational and personal development processes as well.