Open Access

Kita-Sozialarbeit etabliert sich in Deutschland seit einigen Jahren als relevanter Handlungsansatz in Kitas und gilt seit 2024 als bundesweiter Qualitätsstandard inklusiver Kitas. Das Verständnis sowie die Umsetzung von Kita-Sozialarbeit erweisen sich dabei in unterschiedlichen Regionen und Bundesländern als heterogen. Der vorliegende Beitrag beleuchtet, wie Kita-Sozialarbeit im Kontext eines bislang noch nicht betrachteten Landesprogramms eines ostdeutschen Bundeslandes für Kitas mit besonderen Herausforderungen verstanden, umgesetzt und in der Kita positioniert wird. Grundlage sind Interviews mit Kita-Akteur:innen in einer teilnehmenden Stadt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass sich Kita-Sozialarbeit wesentlich über ihre kompensatorische Entlastungsfunktion konstituiert. Als zusätzliche Ressource mit einer Sonderposition im Team erweitern Kita-Sozialarbeitende die Handlungsmöglichkeiten der Einrichtung unter begrenzten strukturellen Bedingungen und ermöglichen Unterstützungs- und Bildungsleistungen für Kinder und ihre Eltern, die andernfalls nur eingeschränkt realisiert werden könnten. Bildung und Teilhabeermöglichung als Auftrag von Kitas stellen dabei einen bedeutsamen Bezugshorizont für Kita-Sozialarbeit dar und sie trägt den Ergebnissen zufolge zu Teilhabeermöglichung bei. Gleichzeitig verweist die Studie auf Aspekte der beschriebenen Praxis, die im Anschluss an die Teilhabeforschung im Kontext Kita sowie aus inklusionspädagogischer Perspektive kritisch zu betrachten sind.

Data processing and urban planning have always been linked. After the Second World War, computing technology - and with it its application in urban planning - expanded significantly. This paper argues that data processing in the GDR is linked to a concept of urban growth through rationalisation and examines several projects conducted in the German Democratic Republic in the 1960s and 70s. The role of universities is discussed using the case of the HAB Weimar. It is shown that digital technologies were considered promising tools for the rationalisation of the territorial development. The paper then presents a case of a large modelling project for regional development that ultimately failed, followed by examples of successful implementations in urban renewal projects. Since its origins, GDR experts hoped to gather insights for the rationalisation of old city renewal from the new technology. Yet, it must be stated that access to calculation technology generally was limited, leading to theoretical and speculative enquiries.

Children's everyday accounts of life in Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) reveal the moral complexity of their relationships with adults, where care and control are intertwined. Drawing on participatory, child-centred research with 86 children in six German ECEC centres, this study examines how children perceive and describe situations in which their boundaries are crossed by adults or peers and how they experience adults’ responses. Analysis of group discussions and observations identified four interrelated themes: asymmetry of power and voice; inaction, dismissal and quick fixes; discipline, punishment and the role of rules; and children's desire for kindness and connection. Children describe being silenced, ignored or punished, while simultaneously articulating expectations of fairness, understanding and care. Drawing on care ethics, children's rights and relational agency, the article argues that adult accountability – how adults acknowledge, respond to and repair harm – is a central yet often overlooked dimension of participatory practice in ECEC.

Objective Although recreational use of gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) and its precursors gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) and 1,4-butanediol (BD) is increasing and poses high risks (e.g. overdose, addiction, withdrawal), research on motives driving their use is lacking. The present study therefore aims to systematically examine the underlying motives and associations with psychological distress. Method This mixed-methods longitudinal study includes two waves of anonymous online data collection (11/2022–01/2023; 11/2023–01/2024) in Germany. The adult sample (Nbaseline = 2196; with nfollow-up = 240) was recruited via convenience-sampling, primarily from Berlin’s nightlife-scene, and comprises GHB/GBL/BD users and their non-using peers. Structured motive ratings and open-ended self-reported motives were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. Cross-lagged panel-models were used to test bidirectional longitudinal associations between GHB/GBL/BD use and anxiety and depressive symptoms, while moderation analyses were used to assess whether coping motives influenced these relationships. Results GHB/GBL/BD use was primarily driven by hedonistic motives such as euphoria and sexual stimulation, while coping-related motives (e.g. anxiety reduction, mood improvement) were also endorsed, particularly among heavy users. Motives remained largely stable over time. Anxiety and depressive symptoms did not predict later use, nor vice versa. However, coping motives moderated the relationship, strengthening the association between symptoms and use frequency. Conclusions While GHB/GBL/BD are mainly used for recreational hedonistic purposes, distress-related motives also seem to play a role, especially in heavier use. These findings highlight the need for targeted prevention, harm-reduction, and therapeutic strategies that consider both hedonistic and coping-driven use, while accounting for the unique characteristics and risks associated with GHB/GBL/BD.