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CYBERNETICS AND THE ORIGIN OF INFORMATION RAYMOND RUYER Translated by Amelie Berger-Soraruff, Andrew Iliadis, Daniel W. Smith and Ashley Woodward 242pp. Rowman & Littlefield. Paperback, 30 [pounds sterling] (US $40). [...]

Within socio-economic transformation processes, the task of education is often reduced to short-term economic factors, that is, a suitable qualification profile of the local population. Transformative education should, however, be based on the broader claim that education contributes to successful transformation processes in the sense of facilitating a high and sustainable quality of life within a democratic society. In this article, we look at the transformation process in the German region of Lusatia. Coal, the region's predominant industry, will be phased out by 2038. We examine what types of programme content might enable learners to participate in the transformation process, and discuss how different educational concepts (education for sustainable development and related approaches including transformative learning, socio-economic and civic education) could be used to develop an educational approach towards the transformation process. We derive competences that students should possess in two areas and provide recommendations for educational processes and policy.

In the context of Germany's coal phase-out, substantial resources are allocated to transform coal regions economically and socially. This study examines the opportunities and aspirations of young people in shaping local spaces, focusing on four participatory processes in Lusatia, eastern Germany. Utilising document analysis and 17 interviews with youth service workers, participants, and politicians, the study combines Massey, Doreen. 2005. For Space. London: Sage concept of space with Cahill, Helen, and Babak Dadvand. 2018. “Re-conceptualising Youth Participation: A Framework to Inform Action.” Children and Youth Services Review 95:243–253 model for youth participation. It bridges the gap between young people's goals and motivations and the quality of participation formats, with a regional focus. Findings reveal that young people's aspirations align with adult-developed projects in transport, digital and business infrastructure, energy transition, and technology, but youth advocate for a more ambitious ecological transformation, digital solutions, and democratic decision-making. Despite well-designed participatory programmes demonstrating youth ability to contribute to transformation, their ideas are often publicly praised but rarely integrated into political decisions due to inadequate procedures. Some formats allowed youth to reposition themselves, highlighting the fluidity of power. The study calls for further research on youth participation from a spatial perspective, and emphasizes the need to better prepareyoung participants and policymakers to manage expectations and responsibilities in participatory processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF FOUCAULT STUART ELDEN 300pp. Polity. Paperback, 18.99 [pounds sterling]. Imagine Michel Foucault and Roland Barthes side by side at a wrestling match. The contrast between characters and [...]