Social problems and youth welfare in Germany 1945-1961

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Peter Hammerschmidt; Professor Dr. Uwe Uhlendorff
• Subject Area: General Education and History of Education
• Term: from 2014 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 244800841

The purposed study aims at analysing the contemporary history of youth welfare in Germany (1945-1961) from a constructivist point of view, drawing upon archive sources, official reports, published scientific studies, professional statements as well as publications in relevant journals. Building upon the analyses of social problems form a sociology of knowledge's point of view, it will be investigated: 1. how problems, social work is facing, are socially constructed in specific constellations of protagonists (history and development of social work related problems), 2. which solutions are purposed to solve these problems, and which solutions are successfully implemented including the legal, institutional and infrastructural measures (concepts of problem-solving and implementation), and finally, 3. which secondary problems occur during and after the implementation of solutions.The period the investigations focuses on includes major legal reforms related to the provision of youth welfare services such as reforms of the youth welfare act (Jugendwohlfahrtsgesetz, JWG) between 1953 and 1961, the establishment of a federal youth development programme (Bundesjugendplan) and the adoption of the youth protection act (Gesetz zum Schutze der Jugend in der Öffentlichkeit, JÖSchG) in 1951. On an institutional level the period encloses the development of local youth welfare offices (kommunale Jugendämter) and a local infrastructure of communal and non-profit organizations providing youth welfare services. Overall, the project thus covers three research dimensions with specific research questions and aims. To reach this aims, we will analyse journal publications (eight relevant journals will be studied, including all issues between 1945-1961), investigate archive sources of main governmental actors on a federal level (Deutscher Bundestag, Bundesjugend- und -innenministerium, Deutscher Städtetag) as well as the archive sources of major non-profit organisations (Caritas, Diakonie und Arbeiterwohlfahrt) and relevant professional organisations (Deutsche Verein für öffentliche und private Fürsorge (DV) and Arbeitsgemeinschaft Jugendhilfe (AGJ)). Finally two case studies will analyse the implementation of projects on local levels (in Frankfurt and Hamburg).Overall, the project will provide a better understanding of the contemporary history of social work in Germany. Furthermore, it will contribute to an improved theoretical understanding of social work by providing insights in how social problems are constructed, how social work programmes are conceptualized to solve these problems and finally how social innovation in the domain of social work is implemented.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants