Reform Era Research Articles

Teacher education in Poland (1970–2024): policy development, legislation, and period-specific challenges

ABSTRACT This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of teacher education in Poland from 1970 to 2024, detailing socio-political and economic changes that have shaped educational policies. The study uses a historical and policy analysis approach, examining legislative documents, policy developments, and educational outcomes across three distinct periods – Socialist Era (1970–1989), Transition and Integration Era (1990–2004), and Modernisation and Reform Era (2005–2024). During the Socialist Era, centralised control and ideological rigidity resulted in a uniform system. Policy changes aimed to align education with socialist principles, often at the expense of flexibility and creativity. The Transition and Integration Era saw significant reforms driven by Poland’s move towards a market economy and European Union integration. This period focused on decentralising the education system, improving teacher qualifications, and aligning with European standards, though it faced challenges such as resource disparities and resistance to change. In the Modernisation and Reform Era, efforts have focused on improving teacher education quality through modernisation and adopting international best practices. There has been an emphasis on innovation, technology integration, and lifelong learning. Despite progress, issues like equitable resource distribution and the relevance of training programmes persist. The paper concludes with recommendations for further decentralisation, better resource allocation, continuous professional development, and integrating innovative teaching methods. These recommendations aim to guide future policy and enhance the effectiveness of teacher education in Poland. Implications for research include exploring the impact of these reforms on teacher effectiveness, policy adaptation, and practice improvement in education.

Rehabilitating Republican China: Historical Memory, National Identity and Regime Legitimacy in the Post-Mao Era

Abstract Described in the Chinese Communist Party's orthodox historiography as a dark and repressive period and part of the “century of humiliation,” the Republican era has in recent decades undergone a significant reassessment in the People's Republic of China (PRC). In books, newspaper articles, documentaries and dramas, Republican China has sometimes been portrayed as a vibrant society making remarkable progress in modernization in the face of severe external challenges. This article explores the origins of this surprising rehabilitation and examines in detail how the Republican-era economic legacies have been reassessed in the reform era. It finds that while the post-Mao regime continues to use the negative view of China's pre-communist history to maintain its historical legitimacy, it has also been promoting a positive view of aspects of the same period in order to support its post-1978 priorities of modernization and nationalism, a trend that has persisted under Xi Jinping despite his tightened ideological control. The selective revival of Republican legacies, although conducive to the Party's current political objectives, has given rise to revisionist narratives that damage the hegemony of its orthodox historical discourses, on which its legitimacy still relies.

Third Front as Method: Mao, Market and the Present in CCTV Documentaries

Abstract This article examines two major recent CCTV documentaries on the Third Front and its afterlives. The Big Third Front (2017) and Vicissitudes of the Third Front (2016) construct strong narratives about the Third Front during the Mao era, depicting it as a heroic struggle against nature which was forced upon China by foreign enemies. However, both documentaries encounter difficulties in adhering to the usual presentation of the Deng era as a resoundingly successful transformation. Vicissitudes ambivalently characterizes the Deng era as one of relative decline in contrast to the glorious early years of the Third Front and the flourishing present. The Big Third Front, meanwhile, conflates historical footage of the 1950s–1990s in a way that undermines the usual official division of PRC history into Mao and reform eras. This paper concludes by suggesting that academic focus on the Third Front can serve as a methodological tool for complicating the periodization of PRC history.

Analisis Kontroversi Aksi Cepat Tanggap Berdasarkan Perspektif Maqashid Syariah

Indonesia, as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, is also recognized as the most generous country according to the World Giving Index 2022. Islamic philanthropy in Indonesia has experienced rapid growth since the reform era, marked by an increased awareness of the importance of professional management to maximize the impact on the underprivileged. Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT) is one of the prominent Islamic philanthropic organizations with various initiatives such as Global Qurban and Global Wakaf, which have received positive responses from the Indonesian public. However, in 2022, ACT faced several allegations of financial misconduct, including embezzlement, misuse of donation funds from Boeing, mismanagement of waqf funds, excessive donation deductions, and money laundering. These scandals not only disrupted ACT's financial stability but also led to legal consequences for several of its executives. In Islam, the concept of Maqashid Syariah provides a framework for analyzing phenomena that may harm the Muslim community, including controversies involving ACT. This study employs a descriptive qualitative approach to examine the ACT controversies through the lens of Maqashid Syariah. Based on this analysis, as an Islamic philanthropic institution entrusted with managing ZISWAF (Zakat, Infaq, Shadaqah, and Waqf) funds, ACT should adhere to the principles of Maqashid Syariah to avoid actions that undermine the protection of intellect, life, and wealth, which are part of the Maqasid al-Khamsah. This study contributes to the literature on Islamic Economics by providing insights into the application of Maqashid Syariah in the context of Islamic philanthropy. The practical implications of this research emphasize the importance of accountability and transparency in the management of ZISWAF funds by Islamic philanthropic organizations, regulators, and the community to ensure compliance with Maqashid Syariah.

Tsaritsyn of Peter’s Time in Modern Historiography

Introduction. The jubilee of Peter I intensified the study of the era of reforms, when important events and changes took place not only in the center of the country but also on the outskirts, in particular in Tsaritsyn and the Lower Volga region. Volgograd historians have recently reexamined these events in the city’s history, utilizing fresh documents from both central and local archives. Methods and materials. The collection of the latest scientific publications (articles, monographs, publications of sources) devoted to the history of Tsaritsyn and its district in Peter’s time served as the material for this review. The methods of historiographical analysis allow us to compare the achievements of modern researchers with the achievements of historians of previous generations, to see the updating of the source base and the involvement of modern research approaches. Analysis. The article analyzes new editions of sources drawn from local and central archives. Despite some archaeological shortcomings, the publication of documents opens up wide opportunities for military-historical, regional, urbanistic, prosopographic, and genealogical research. The author considers the two-volume edition “Tsaritsyn Line: Monument of Fortification of the Peter the Great Era: Construction, Operation, Current State, and Prospects of Museification,” which was prepared by the creative team under the leadership of I.O. Tyumentsev, a kind of scientific result. The analysis of the collective monograph shows that in connection with the construction of the Tsaritsyn line, a whole layer of the history of the south and southeast of Russia from the Azov campaigns to the second half of the 18th century is considered. Along with military plots, many problems of the economy and economic development of the Lower Volga region, issues of social history, and national relations have been studied. Results. It is concluded that the authors of the latest publications, despite their particular shortcomings, managed to show at the modern research level that the Peter the Great era inscribed a bright, eventful page in the history of Tsaritsyn-Volgograd and its surroundings.

Open and Shut: Circulating People and Goods, Pollution, and History in the Canals of Suzhou

This article considers the twentieth- and twenty-first-century reinterpretation and reconfiguration of Suzhou’s canals in light of their use as a means of transport and flood control, and as a source of pollution. Throughout the Maoist period (1949-1976), the regime considered canals to be anachronistic impediments to urban renewal and filled in many urban waterways to create modern streets, industrial land, and fall-out shelters. Remaining canals were exploited for a variety of uses, including drains for pollutants as the city industrialized. In the Reform Era, from 1978 onwards, environmental protection mandates, fines for polluting paper mills and chemical plants, and the diversion of industrial and population growth to new sites restored Suzhou’s canals and public gardens as tourism and recreation assets. The archaic origin and historicity of the city’s canals, which previously inspired their destruction, now impels their refurbishment and validation as essential infrastructure of the modern city.

Persentuhan Kiai Lokal Dalam Kontestasi Politik Era Reformasi Di Madura: Tinjauan Sejarah

This study explores the role of local Kiai of Madura in the politics of the reform era, examining their contribution to practical political contestation and its impact on the Muslim-majority Madura community. Kiai, who was respected and had great influence, exercised the role of religious figure and public official. The local Kiai here refers to Kiai who are directly involved in the world of practical politics. The purpose of this study is to analyze the contribution of Kiai in Madura politics and its impact on the policy and application of the teachings of Ahlus Sunnah Wal-Jamaah. This research is a literature review using the historical method with four steps. First heuristic (collection of sources), primary and secondary sources used in the form of books, scientific articles, proceedings, the results of the data on votes obtained from the KPU and the writings that are relevant to this research obtained from the National Library of Indonesia, UIN Jakarta Library, Google Scholar, Sinta and observations in the field. Second, source criticism. Third, interpretation and finally historiography. As an analytical knife, the research uses the hegemonic theory of Gramsci. The findings show that Kiai plays an important role in legal and policy politics, fighting for people's rights and grounding religious teachings. This research provides insight into the integration of religious teachings with public interest in the context of reform.

Research on Traditional Ethnic Sports Teaching in Undergraduate Colleges under the Background of Curriculum Ideology and Politics

Curriculum based ideological and political education is a new requirement for talent cultivation in universities in the new era of education reform. It includes diversified curriculum based ideological and political education elements such as norms, culture, and competition in traditional ethnic sports, and is the main path to achieve the fundamental task of cultivating morality and talents. On the basis of exploring the effectiveness of traditional ethnic sports teaching in undergraduate colleges under the background of curriculum ideological and political education, this article analyzes how to carry out traditional ethnic sports teaching in undergraduate colleges under the background of curriculum ideological and political education, and give full play to the educational value of traditional ethnic sports.

Menapaki Jejak Kebangkitan Pendidikan Islam di Era Pasca Reformasi (1998-2000): Sebuah Kajian Historis

The history of Islamic education in Indonesia spans from the arrival of Islam and has been influenced by government policies and socio-political dynamics. The Reform era brought significant changes in efforts to renew Islamic education to meet contemporary needs and strengthen Indonesia's national identity. Islamic organizations such as Salafi (Wahhabi), integrated Islamic schools, and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) have influenced Islamic educational policies. The research method employed was literature review, a qualitative approach relying on theoretical analysis from scholarly literature. The conclusion highlights that Salafi ideology underpins the establishment of educational institutions and foundations involved in disseminating Wahhabi doctrine through preaching and book publication. This movement has also influenced the formation of Islamic movements in Indonesia. Integrated Islamic schools, pioneered by activists from various campuses, emerged partly due to concerns over children's moral conduct and inadequate parental supervision. Significant changes and reforms include curriculum improvements, enhancement of teacher quality, and educational policies affecting the national education system. The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), starting from nurturing cadres and campus preaching, has evolved into a influential political force. PKS has laid a strong foundation for Islamic education programs and social initiatives. The influence of PKS is evident in improving the quality of Islamic education at elementary and secondary levels, as well as in shaping a strong Islamic identity among educated middle-class communities.

Building a Law-Abiding Culture in Indonesia: Challenges and Implementation Strategies in the Reform Era

This article explores the challenges and implementation strategies involved in building a law-abiding culture in Indonesia, particularly in the context of the Reform Era. The study utilizes qualitative methods, including an extensive literature review and library research, to examine the complexities of establishing a strong legal culture in a country that has undergone significant political and social transformations. The research identifies key challenges such as the historical legacy of legal pluralism, corruption within legal institutions, and varying levels of legal awareness among the population. Additionally, the article discusses the strategies employed by the Indonesian government to promote legal compliance, including legal education, reforms in law enforcement, and public awareness campaigns. The findings highlight the importance of a multifaceted approach that includes both top-down reforms and bottom-up initiatives to foster a culture of lawfulness. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for continued efforts to address systemic issues within the legal framework and to ensure the effective implementation of laws that reflect the principles of justice and equality. The study provides valuable insights for policymakers, legal scholars, and practitioners who are engaged in the ongoing process of legal reform in Indonesia.

‘Compassionate’ Control: Social Work and the Rise of Carceral Feminism in Progressive Era Police Reform

The contemporary Defund the Police movement has renewed interest in social work’s role in public safety, leading some to call for increased police–social work collaborations. However, claims regarding the potential virtues and pitfalls of social work–police collaborations are largely ahistorical. To contextualize current debates, a systematic investigation into the evolution of social work and its relationship with law enforcement is necessary, particularly the impact that gender norms have had on this relationship. Drawing from the National Conference on Charities and Corrections proceedings, we examined how gendered underpinnings have shaped social work’s relationship to law enforcement and the understanding of social work’s role in public safety. During the Progressive Era, social workers acted as an intervention to reform police by infusing ‘rehabilitative’, ‘protective’, ‘preventative’, and ‘quarantining’ approaches in law enforcement. What emerges from the archives is a chronicle detailing how using social work as a gendered intervention for police reform during the Progressive Era fell short of addressing the root causes of carceral issues, drawing parallels between the Progressive Era reforms and today’s contemporary reforms.

Enhancing the Implementation of Education Policies for Migrant Children in China

Since the era of reform and opening-up, policies concerning the education of children of migrants have continuously evolved and improved. However, several issues exist in the execution of these policies: additive implementation of policies, ambiguous positioning in policy execution, slow reform of the household registration system, and an imperfect policy supervision mechanism. This paper analyzes these issues from multiple dimensions through literature review and qualitative analysis, and delving into the underlying causes of the problems during policy implementation. Furthermore, based on these causes, a series of recommendations for improvement are proposed, which firstly need to adjust the distribution of interests and enhance the clarity of policy objectives and effectiveness tracking. It also requires the establishment of an efficient supervision system to promote the reform process of the household registration system. In addition, the feasibility of the policy can be increased by strengthening the publicity and promotion of the policy. These recommendations can ensure the effective implementation of education policies concerning children of the migrant population, thereby safeguarding the educational rights of children of migrants.

Political Campaign of the Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDI-P) during the New Order and Reform Era

Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan (PDI-P) is a political party in Indonesia that has gone through an era of change, from the New Order era to the Reform Era. PDI-P has experienced ups and downs in General Election results since the party was founded. PDI-P's continued success to date cannot be separated from the political campaign strategy they implemented. This research discusses the political campaign strategies carried out by the PDI-P using various methods. This research uses a qualitative approach by analyzing various articles discussing the PDI-P political campaign. The results of this research are that the PDI-P experienced a change in campaign strategy between the New Order and the Reformation. PDI-P, which initially had limited means and difficult situations during the New Order era, was able to find various campaign methods since the Reformation era which then led them to success since 2014.

Disfiguration: Civilized violence, Reformation and the witches

The European Reformation saw a dramatic rise of new confessional groups, sects and schisms, accompanied by widespread group hostility and violence. In a critical discussion of Elias’ ‘civilizing process’, the key changes ushered by the Reformation, from the government of state, church, and souls, are considered. As society sought to expunge its ‘ultimate enemies’, the era of reform was a time of widespread witchcraft trials, trials that are examples of horrific social disfiguration, with continued relevance to understanding modern social and group violence. Several examples of the latter are considered.

Democratic Values ​​in Education: A Study of Islamic Religious Higher Education in Indonesia

The reform era followed by the era of globalization and digitalization can affect the values of democracy in education, so special treatment is needed so that the values of democratization in education can be in line with the nation's ideals. The Independent Learning Curriculum is an innovation by the government to respond to challenges, adjust to the times, and implement democratic values effectively. The theoretical basis is used as a guide so that the research focuses on the facts in the field. Apart from that, the theoretical basis is also helpful in providing a general overview of the setting research and as material for discussing research results. This research method uses a descriptive qualitative approach. The library research method is used for data collection techniques. The research results show that the democratic values ​​implemented in higher education continue to be carried out by improving various academic and non-academic activities to improve the quality of learning. Democratic values ​​are not only implemented in curriculum innovation. Still, they are also implemented in student organizational structures and learning processes so that applicable legal regulations can run the implementation of democracy and the direction of education.

From mandala to flowchart: Managerial governmentality and the evidentiary technologies of Indonesia's Reformasi

AbstractWith the dissolution of an authoritarian regime, novel semiotic technologies are mobilized in the service of producing new political imaginaries. Through what visual and discursive practices can “democracy” be made visible? How can “good governance” be convincingly attested? This paper explores the evidentiary infrastructures of Indonesia's s‐driven democratic transition to introduce a broader reflection on the role of graphic artifacts in disseminating neoliberal ideologies of transparency and managerial notions of “good governance.” Since the end of Suharto's authoritarian regime, a new genre of graphic artifacts has proliferated within Indonesian government offices: colorful vinyl banners with flowcharts and diagrams illustrating institutional mission statements, bureaucratic procedures, and administrative structures. Marking a clear departure from the traditional iconography of the mandala‐like pre‐democratic state, these flowcharts are only partially successful. Their aspiration to be iconic materializations of an efficient new mode of governance betrays widespread anxieties that the Reform Era has fallen short of its reformist promise.

SEJARAH DAN PERKEMBANGAN PERADILAN ISLAM MASA KEMERDEKAAN SAMPAI REFORMASI

This study examines the history and development of Islamic judiciary in Indonesia from the independence period to the reform era. The main focus is to identify structural, legal, and role changes of the Islamic judiciary in the context of political and social dynamics during this period. In the early days of independence, the Islamic judiciary was part of the national legal system and faced various challenges in enforcing Sharia law. Significant changes occurred throughout the Old Order, New Order, and especially during the reform era, marked by decentralization and democratization that strengthened the position of the Islamic judiciary. This study employs a historical approach and policy analysis to explore the transformation of the Islamic judiciary in response to various political and social changes in Indonesia. The results of the research indicate that the Islamic judiciary has developed significantly, adapting to constitutional and legal changes, and plays an important role in law enforcement in Indonesia. However, there are still challenges in the full integration of the Islamic judiciary into the national legal system that need to be addressed.

Analyzing The Effectiveness of 30% Gender Affirmative Action Policy in Indonesia

The Indonesian government’s 30% Affirmative Action Policy addresses gender inequalities by bolstering women’s representation in strategic positions. This research investigated the policy’s effectiveness in achieving this goal and uncovered constraints hindering women’s active participation in politics. Grounded in both gender equality and affectivity theories, the study pinpoints key issues of gender imbalance and investigates the policy’s impact on organizational dynamics within the political sphere. A qualitative analysis, informed by a comprehensive literature review, suggested that the implementation of the 30% Affirmative Action Policy since the reform era has demonstrably contributed to an increase in female representation within the political sphere. However, the policy’s effectiveness remains contingent upon addressing various challenges, including the persistent underrepresentation of women across both legislative and executive positions, where the 30% target has yet to be consistently achieved. Key influential factors in the implementation of this policy include the roles of the government, political parties, and society. Nevertheless, the policy is crucial in reshaping social norms regarding gender roles in politics. Overall, this article provided a comprehensive overview of the effectiveness of the 30% Affirmative Action Policy in achieving optimal gender representation in Indonesia. Policy implications and recommendations for enhancing the sustainability and effectiveness of this policy were also discussed to advance women’s participation in various social and professional aspects of life in Indonesia. Keywords: effectiveness; affirmative action; women’s representation

Chinese Soap Operas in the Reform Era

This article aims to investigate the impact of the emergence of television soap operas during the 1980s and 1990s in the People’s Republic of China, with an emphasis on Yearnings (渴望, 1990) and Year after Year (一年又一年, 1998). This period comprises the first two decades of “reform and opening up” (Gaige kaifang 改革开放), when the country underwent a series of radical changes leading to market economy. As I will discuss, both soap operas employ a similar structure by presenting family sagas as a vehicle for the articulation of China’s transformations through decades of history – including the introduction of television and other media.

Framing Chinese Youth in the Aftermath of the Cultural Revolution

Abstract The launching of the reform program in 1978 went hand in hand with praising Chinese youth as the vanguard of the new struggle for modernising China. Yet, the official rhetoric projected the ideal youth, while being at odds with the complex reality of the early post-Mao era, when the experience of the Cultural Revolution (CR) turned out to be the main reason for the so-called ‘youth problem’. Both international and Chinese literature have highlighted that in the reform era, youth, intended as a social and cultural category or construct, came to be associated with less positive values, and the traditional discourse of ‘youth as hope’ proliferated along and intertwined with a negative discourse of ‘youth as trouble’. This paper looks at the re-emergence of the Communist Youth League (CYL) as a key institutional actor in setting the stage for the construction of a new social discourse on youth in the transitional period 1978–1981, when the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leadership confronted with the need to deal with the tumultuous upheaval of the CR and its impact on youth on the one hand, and to push forward the reformist agenda on the other. By mainly relying on CYL sources (documents, internal publications and the official youth press), a part of which has been largely unexplored so far, it shows how the discourse on youth became complex and multifaceted in those historical circumstances, reflecting not just different views within the élite but also and most importantly the very tensions involved in the reform project. While the existence of the ‘youth problem’ led to establishing a causal nexus with the now condemned ultra-leftist tendencies associated with Lin Biao and the Gang of Four, the need to make sense of the complexity of youth boosted a heated debate on youth characteristics, with a number of cadres and adult experts affiliated to the CYL defining, describing and prescribing what Chinese youth were in ways that, by ensuring they had not been guilty as former Red Guards and recognising them as both victims and increasingly emancipated actors, eventually pushed forward a new idea of youth that conformed to the new modernization aims of the Party. Providing an assessment of the young generation and its inclinations in the aftermath of the CR eventually became the premise for facilitating the emergence of a new youth subjectivity, while envisioning the integration of the self within the broader collective and the coexistence of liberal values with traditional socialist ethics. The debate on youth characteristics reflected the complex changes taking place in China and was constitutive of a broader process that set the stage for rethinking the socialisation of youth in the post-Mao era.