Dannelse: a Danish concept in historical and contemporary perspectives

The general educational purpose of cultivation of character, more precisely expressed by the term ‘dannelse’ is important in general in Danish education. It is a very significant element of the way in which Global Competence has been realised at Rysensteen Upper Secondary School. In this chapter, Associate Professor at Syddansk University in Denmark, Steen Beck, will introduce the concept for a non-Danish audience. He starts with a definition of dannelse or Bildung, a German concept to which dannelse is related and a word which has become part of the discourse about education in English. Then he comments on and explains the concept in a perspective based on the history of ideas. Subsequently, he focuses on the current discussions about dannelse and Bildung, beginning with a short description of the education theory of Wolfgang Klafki and a discussion of the present much debated understanding of related issues formulated by Gert Biesta.