Der Gebildeter Mensch: Reflections on ‘Bildung’ as a Central Theme of My Journey as a German Chancellor Fellow

Originally published in a final reflections report on my experience as an Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung German Chancellor Fellow

It was the second day of a week-long training seminar for European youth workers that I attended in the historic town of Weimar just a couple months into my BUKA year. I had opted into the training without a specific idea of what to expect after my project host mentioned it might be a nice opportunity to visit one of my host’s member organizations, a youth Bildungsstätte, and get to know a European youth work competence model, which was the focus of the training. After chatting over breakfast with fellow participants from all over Europe — Cyprus, the United Kingdom, Italy, Hungary, Germany, etc. — and the standard, but also extremely valuable, icebreakers and get-to-know-you activities, the trainers leading the group hauled an odd assortment of materials into the center of our group circle. Balloons, rice and plastic wrap, to be specific. As the instructions were given on how to use these basic materials to craft our own homemade juggling balls, I was a bit perplexed about how learning to juggle had anything to do with the two youth work competencies in focus — “communicating meaningfully with others” and “cooperating successfully in teams”, but I went along with the exercise. After crafting our juggling essentials, we were set loose to practice for an hour with no instructions on how exactly to do so. The trainers made themselves available in one corner of the room in case we wanted a quick tutorial, but otherwise, we were free to explore. As someone who had tried — and failed — to learn how to juggle in the past, I immediately joined them for guidance, which was useful but fell short of a successful juggling experience. So I sought out others in the group. We tried practicing in pairs, juggling against a wall so the balls wouldn’t escape too far in front of us and juggling with tissues to get the feel of the movement. By the end of the hour, I certainly wasn’t ready to join the circus, but I did have a better idea of what this exercise was meant to demonstrate. We were learning how to self-direct our learning.

Over the course of the next several days, this self-directed learning process did not abate, but instead became more topically relevant as we dug into the European Training Strategy competence model. As the participants, we worked to come up with the specific questions/topics we wanted to cover, and were given two full days to work in small groups to explore these topics further. We were encouraged to venture outside of the seminar room — perhaps to explore a local museum for inspiration or take a walk in the park. No assigned meeting times meant groups had free reign to decide when to meet, and there were no prescribed outcomes aside from the very general direction that we should in some way share our learning with the larger group. Upon reflecting on the experience, I realized that this exercise, in addition to learning about the competence model, was a direct implementation of the two competencies at hand — cooperating in teams and communication.

This was my first confrontation with a form of learning in which I was given full reign over every aspect of the learning process, and I have to admit — it was uncomfortable and challenging. I wanted to walk away with concrete information, and instead I walked away with more questions. Yet, I realize that by virtue of that, I also grew as a thinker. In talking about the experience with my host, I remarked how the training had been just a mini-version of the entire year-long project I had embarked on. Without much guidance, no defined outcomes and a fairly free schedule, I have been challenged throughout the year for the first time to truly self-direct my learning — to learn how to learn.

With this perspective in mind, I returned to my project, and as the COVID-19 pandemic made its grand entrance into all of our lives, I had to reconsider how this new reality would impact my project and my experience in Germany. Still, I struggled. I worried (and still do) about how to make a contribution to my host organization and what impact the year could have on my career trajectory. This left me feeling stuck, feeling like I couldn’t possibly know enough as I stuffed in information by reading and watching and listening. Eventually, it became clear to me that this gift of freedom I was being given was not to be taken for granted, so I asked myself, regardless of the external expectations or pressures: “What do you really care about? What do you want to know? How do you want to go about that process of discovery?” I worried less about the output and more about my process of learning. I came to realize that I am an “outcome” of this year, in itself. Rather than a particular paper or presentation, the value of the fellowship is its impact on my personal skill-building, value shifts, knowledge exchange and personal growth and that of all those I’ve interacted with this year.

Despite having spent the year researching and experiencing the German system for non-formal civic education, it wasn’t until well into my BUKA year that I learned the more nuanced meaning of the term, Bildung, and realized how well it encapsulates my experience as a BUKA fellow. The term encompasses far more than the simple translation of “education” that was provided by my German teachers in Bonn at the beginning of this BUKA journey. Instead, it represents an ongoing process of personal growth, which encompasses knowledge, values and social responsibility, freedom and autonomy. It is not linked to immediate social utilization and practical use of what is learned, but instead is a means of self-determination and based on the idea of maturity[1]. Bildung is a process of learning and its goal.

As I reflect on my experience, I see clearly how Bildung has been a key element of my journey. Not simply a means of acquiring information or meeting an end goal, we have been presented the opportunity to develop as human beings and global citizens, as thinkers and creators, and, yes, as the “rising leaders” that the name of our program so generously recognizes. It came as a pleasant surprise to learn, then, that an original Humboldtian, specifically Wilhelm von Humboldt, is credited with having a strong influence on the German theory of education and conception of Bildung. Per Humboldt, Bildung aims at the “harmony of the soul”, and the gebildeter Mensch is one who has developed abilities in all areas as opposed to specializing in one[2]. In line with Alexander von Humboldt’s epic world explorations, Wilhelm von Humboldt believed that one could “only grow by encounter with the world”, for the sake of individual growth, not the benefit of something else, such as financial gain or skills used in daily life — learning for the sake of learning itself. I wouldn’t possibly have the knowledge I have now had I not experienced my research subject, namely the non-formal civic education system itself. It is not the same to simply hear about someone else’s experience — to the greatest extent possible, we have to live it. As I have gone about this year, I have sought to embrace this specific attitude and approach to learning. Rather than a focus on what this experience may contribute to my immediate career prospects, I have tried to view it as an opportunity for personal growth. Rather than focusing exclusively on what may be useful or interesting to others, I have attempted to balance with time spent on the process of learning and the topics of primary interest to me, which has emerged as one of the greatest challenges this year.

Another element of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s interpretation of Bildung is a focus on language as a mediation between man and world. The ability to understand and “win” a new perspective through acquiring a new language, then, enables a new understanding of the world. The opportunity to learn German (beginning at an A2 level and completing the year at C1) has been intensely rewarding. Although my main goal has been to learn German for the sake of my project and future career, it has become clear through the learning process, how much more one can understand a culture and connect with others by learning a host country language. Having grown up in Germany as a dependent of a teacher and photographer for the U.S. Department of Defense on U.S. military bases in Germany, I have always identified as a “third-culture kid”. Although I attended a U.S. school, had American friends, and spoke English at home, my experience living in a German community with extended family engrained in the German system and a German grandmother left many cultural impressions on my identity. Having had this experience, I expected a relatively smooth transition back to living in Germany after spending my early adulthood in the U.S. I did not expect how different this experience would be from what I remembered, which I credit to learning German, which allowed me to more readily integrate into my work place and appreciate language-dependent cultural understanding.

The approach of the other Humboldt brother, after which our benefactor is named, has served as another model for my “Bildung journey”. Alexander von Humboldt traveled widely to learn from other cultures. As I have told many over the year, I feel as though my favorite part of the year has been learning from my peers from across the world. This informal learning — in discussions about food, politics, religion — and the experience of simply noticing and appreciating cultural differences in daily interactions has challenged stereotypes and my own assumptions about the world. The international experience is a trademark of the Humboldtian approach to learning, and I can attest to the broadening effect it has had for me personally.

The concept of Bildung, aside from my personal experience with it, has also been a central theme throughout my project topic. The two systems for civic education in Germany and the U.S. have diverged widely in terms of infrastructure, methodologies, and academic discourse, despite U.S. involvement in the post-World War II foundations of civic education in Germany. One major difference, is the relatively high prioritization and recognition of non-formal civic education, or außerschulische politische Bildung, in Germany, which falls under the wider field of youth work. Non-formal education is defined as a program of personal and social education planned outside the formal curriculum that serves to improve certain skills and competencies[3]. It differentiates itself from informal education, which refers to learning acquired through everyday experiences such as family, media, work, play, friends, etc., and formal education, which refers to education that takes place in institutions like schools and universities where one receives a certificate or degree in exchange for completing certain requirements[4]. Unlike in Germany, in the U.S., civic education, as such, is largely conceived of as a task of formal education. Non-formal education, by nature, is a method and goal of Bildung, and vice versa, as a voluntary, accessible, participative and learner-centered offering. Non-formal education focuses on the development of well-rounded individuals who can think critically and fully contribute to society. Rather than making this a responsibility of schools alone, Germany provides an overarching infrastructure, with funding, institutional and legal support at multiple levels of government. This value for non-formal lifelong learning, with a specific focus on non-formal civic/political learning, is rather unique to Germany. Legal, institutional, theoretical and funding frameworks demonstrate a value for civic learning, not because there is immediate financial gain, but because there is a generally accepted recognition that this kind of learning is essential for a functioning democratic society.

Of course, the non-formal civic education and youth work fields in Germany do face their own challenges in the midst of global transformations such as globalization, migration, climate change and a rise in populist movements. A shift away from the explicitly civic and political elements in lieu of career-orientation is one such trend that seems to fly in the face of the underlying principles of non-formal education. Other more practical challenges, such as diminishing access to young people as a result of shrinking free time has challenged the field and individual educators and policymakers to rethink standard habits and imagine new ways of engaging target groups. Traditional formats, such as multi-day residential seminars can no longer be the only means of reaching young people if the goal is to expand reach and meet participants where they are. Moreover, a political concentration on civic education as a solution for a wide array of societal challenges poses challenges and opportunities for the field as they receive increased funding and attention, but alongside a political mandate which uses it as a “firefighting function” rather than a long-term investment.

Announced last November 2019, months before the pandemic became a reality, my host organization, the Arbeitskreis deutscher Bildungsstätten (AdB) announced their 2020 theme of the year: Transformations — Global Developments and the Reevaluation of Civic Education. Little did anyone know how foreboding this would prove to be. As we’ve experienced the unimaginable in this year, I believe many of us have returned to some form of the core ideas of Bildung — a freedom from norms, perhaps a return to learning something for the sake of learning (Baking bread! Pandemic yoga! New instruments!). Many of us were challenged to explore new ways of connecting, working, and relaxing. But it also led to a new form of solidarity and a focus on social responsibility. We have seen how important experiential learning and connection are to the human experience as we have navigated endless Zoom meetings that begin to blur together. If anything, this year has shown us how a shift in our “normal” way of doing things may actually be beneficial in the long term.

The year’s events have also demonstrated, more than ever, how important civic knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviors are as we’ve faced a global pandemic, racial unrest in the U.S. that has sparked a global conversation, climate disaster and a U.S. election that called into question the fundamentals of the world’s oldest liberal democracy. To combat these challenges, a focus on civic learning that provides civic knowledge, builds civic skills like critical thinking and negotiation, civic attitudes such as tolerance and support for democracy, and civic behaviors that reflect an agency as active citizens must be prioritized. In my opinion, this requires a comprehensive and broad approach that crosses sectors and requires intentional investment, not because it will solve our immediate problems, but because the just way to govern a society is to ensure the equal and engaged voices of its citizens. What has become most clear to me in my time in Germany as a BUKA fellow is the essentiality of strong structures that continuously revalue and reflect the core values of a society. As we emerge from this pandemic, to the extent that is possible, any reexamined or shifted priorities — from the personal to the governmental level — will need to be intentionally reaffirmed and supported financially, temporally, legally and structurally. It is one thing to say that we support a tolerant, diverse, free, democratic society, and quite another to put systems in place that support civil society and make civic learning a focus.

As I reflect on my BUKA year, what I notice most is a broadened perspective and a reevaluation of what I value, both personally and professionally. It has enabled me to release some of the pressure associated with an exclusive focus on academic or career advancement and given me the space, time and resources to learn for the sake of learning, to explore my interests and to grow personally. This unique opportunity will have long-lasting implications for my personal and professional life and I look forward to extending my experience to others around me now and into the future. It would do well for the world and Germany itself to focus (or re-focus) on the essential nature of Bildung as we personally and societally reevaluate our political, economic and education systems, rethink our personal values, and design the future of tomorrow.

So, do I end the year able to refer to myself as a “gebildeter Mensch”, at the end of my learning journey? Absolutely not. Were I to say yes, would be to admit that I haven’t fully understood the concept of this lifelong journey toward personal growth.

[1] Thimmel, A. (2019). Zugangsstudie zur Internationalen Jugendarbeit. Zusammenfassung der Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerungen. In Die Zugangsstudie zum internationalen Jugendaustausch (pp. 177–193). Frankfurt am Main: Wochenschau Wissenschaft.

[2] Danner, H. (1994). ‘BILDUNG’ A basic term of German education. Retrieved from https://www.helmut-danner.info/pdfs/German_term_Bildung.pdf

[3] Detjen, J. (2015, March 18). Bildungsaufgabe und Schulfach: Bpb. Retrieved December 06, 2020, from https://www.bpb.de/gesellschaft/bildung/politische-bildung/193595/bildungsaufgabe-und-schulfach

[4] Formale und non-formale Bildung — Kompass. (n.d.). Retrieved December 06, 2020, from http://kompass.humanrights.ch/cms/front_content.php?idcat=1539