Politics as Shaping: An Approximation to Students' Metaphorical Understanding

Autor/in	Kegel, Andreas Stephan
Titel	Politics as Shaping: An Approximation to Students' Metaphorical Understanding
Quelle	In: Journal of Social Science Education, 17 (2018) 4, S.26-39 (14 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1618-5293
Schlagwörter	Figurative Language; Social Sciences; Student Attitudes; High School Students; Foreign Countries; Politics; Secondary School Teachers; Germany + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Social science; Sozialwissenschaften; Gesellschaftswissenschaften; Schülerverhalten; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Ausland; Politik; Deutschland
Abstract	Purpose: Teaching social science might benefit from using students' metaphorical understanding. Metaphors help people to better understand abstract concepts by breaking them down into more familiar ones. This essay attempts to approximate students' metaphors of politics to improve social science education's efforts in shaping politically mature citizens. Method: Taking three single interviews with students attending senior classes in high schools in Hamburg, Germany, this paper analyses metaphors they use to describe politics. It categorizes them and puts them into a larger context in the form of systematic metaphors providing an approximation to the students' metaphorical understanding. Findings: The findings suggest that students understand politics as shaping society, participation as passing upwards people's interests, governance as guidance, and human life as the foundation for society. However, more research is necessary, such as analysing more students' metaphors or using issue-related drawings. Practical implications: Teachers can use these findings to initialize a conceptual reconstruction. They could ask students to draw a "Grafiz" using the terms suggested above and having a better access to students' metaphorical understanding of a topic. That helps the teacher to select appropriate material for their teaching units. (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Journal of Social Science Education. Bielefeld University Faculty of Sociology, Universitätsstraße 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany. Tel: +49-521-106-3985; Fax: +49-521-106-153986; e-mail: info@jsse.org; Web site: http://www.jsse.org/
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01