University of Flensburg

This article aims to ascertain if prevailing temporal imaginaries of capitalism are susceptible to change throughout sustainability transitions. As traditional economic institutions and practices face challenges under the polycrisis, so too may imagined futures (IFs). This research examines IFs of the German heating and housing transition (Warmewende) in the context of the 2023 amendment of the German Building Energy Act (Gebaudeenergiegesetz, GEG). Twenty-three expert interviews with institutional stakeholders impacted by and integral to said transition were performed and assessed qualitatively. The approach concentrated on reconstructing the contingency of, topics of and agency upon IFs. The findings indicate that futures of heating and housing in Germany are seen as largely stable, namely as resistant to significant upheavals and subject to modification via political decisions. Amid a 'heated' amendment process, issues emerge not from the future but from a tumultuous present. Practitioners exhibit limited capabilities to use-thefuture to attain sustainability objectives or disrupt the Status Quo. Moreover, they emphasise a pragmatic strategy of incremental measures grounded on established routines. Far-reaching transformations in heating and housing based on bold visions are largely absent. The research shows that the German heating transition is set to unfold along 'incumbent futures', perpetuating current patterns of technological innovation driven by market incentives and technocratic governance.

Visas are a key tool for states to regulate incoming mobility from abroad, which can have ramifications for the establishment and perpetuation of global inequalities. In this article, we systematically analyze visa appointment wait times in German embassies and consulates worldwide. Using computational methods, we collect—and publish—fine-grained longitudinal data on the closest available appointment dates for various visa types, covering a total of 16,182 visa appointment requests. Our analysis reveals strong and systematic variance: the poorer the country a diplomatic mission is based in, the longer the wait time and the lower the chances of finding an available appointment (which ranges from almost 0 to 100 percent). We also argue that Germany's system is quite opaque compared to other established immigration countries such as the U.S. These core findings raise important questions in light of current debates about global justice, legal pathways to migration, and efforts to attract foreign talent.

The prevalence of child sexual abuse (CSA) has remained consistently high for years. While children most often disclose experiences of CSA to trusted teachers than to other non-relative adults in their lives, many teachers report feeling unprepared to handle suspected CSA cases. Schools, too, note their uncertainty about whether to intervene and – when they do – which other professionals to involve at what stages of the process. Against this background, this paper aims to identify key CSA intervention training areas that can enable teachers to handle cases of suspected CSA professionally and competently. In contrast to existing research, which tends to focus exclusively on teachers, this Germany-based study draws on interviews with professionals from a wide range of institutions, including schools (n = 17), child protection services (n = 15), and law enforcement (n = 13). Significantly, all of the interviewees highlighted the need for improved teacher education on CSA intervention, with inter-institutional collaboration and knowledge of how to conduct an intervention being the most frequent topics of recollection among those interviewed.

Abstract The history of physics enriches physics education by fostering deeper conceptual understanding, contextualizing scientific development, and humanizing the discipline. Teaching strategies, such as historical narratives, case studies, and experimental re-enactments using the history of physics have a variety of benefits. They can be used to address students’ preconceptions at the content level, and to illustrate physics as a cultural and ethical endeavor, thus countering dogmatism and scientism. At the same time, these approaches enhance scientific literacy and critical thinking, and they foster inclusivity by showcasing contributions from underrepresented groups and traditions. These approaches are ideally aligned with inquiry-based pedagogies that promote active student participation and epistemological reflection. Practical implementation strategies include storytelling, historical experiments, and biographies, which engage students and connect abstract concepts to real-world contexts. The mutual enrichment of physics and its history benefits both educators and historians of science and is crucial for cultivating scientific literacy in a diverse and evolving educational landscape.

Despite ripe technological knowledge on how to decarbonise economies, transition policy remains ineffective in limiting emissions. This includes a transition in the production of and demand for domestic heating. In Germany, domestic heating consumes nearly third of its primary energy, yet the execution of the Buildings Energy Act (dt. Geba & uml;udeenergiegesetz) aimed at decarbonising the sector remain stalled. Slow modernisation rates in the last years, controversial media campaigns and administrative rollbacks in the policy process are evidence of this latency. Using Germany as a case, this study applies a habermasian understanding of systemic integration of the economy and the adminstrative state to uncover how future policy can overcome what we coin "system-induced transition inertia". For this, the sociotechnical expectations of 23 practitioners of the heating and housing transition were captured in semi-structured interviews. Findings from this study add to the literature on energy transitions and reveal that an increased focus on the socio-economic side of the transition is needed as technological policies experience a stalemate between economic expectations and long-term execution in administrations. We propose this inertia could be addressed through a set of outlined policy recommendations that approach energy policy from a systemic perspective.