Zwei lehrreiche Jahrzehnte. Einsichten und Interpretationsangebote der Transformationsforschung für die Weiterbildung

This article proposes two interpretational approaches which sociological transformation research offers to reflect on east German transformation processes after reunification. (1) Taking the concept of transformation as modernisation catchi ng up, a picture is painted of a society going through inevitable modernisation processes with a time delay. (2) From the theoretical perspective of contextualisation, transformation is seen as an objectless, complex, conflict-prone proc ess during which eastern pr ofessionals re-shape west ern institutions in th e light of regional, so cial and cultural condi tions. The author favours this context-sensitive in terpretation of post- socialist tr ansformation processes. It provides a plausible explanation for the variety of transformation processes in eastern European countries. The article is set in the framework of continuing education: at the start, it depicts the state of research into eastern German continuing education after 1989, and at the end the author comments on how transformation research has been received in continuing education research.