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Social sciences with a focus on political science, sociology, and economic education

Prof. Dr. Tim Engartner, Prof. Dr. Gudrun Hentges, Prof. Dr. Bettina Lösch, Prof. Dr. Ralf Ptak, Prof. Dr. Julia Reuter, Prof. Dr. Eva Sänger, Prof. Dr. Susanne Völker, Prof. Dr. Birgit Weber


Profile

This research focus aims at understanding socially effective structures and processes - especially with regard to the areas of state, society and economy - and includes the following foci:

  1. social science theories to explain political, social and economic phenomena;
  2. qualitative and quantitative methods of empirical social research. Research and teaching in the social sciences is concerned on the one hand with questions of contemporary history, and on the other hand always with present and currently explosive social challenges. Questions about the causes of multiple crises (political, social, economic) as well as perspectives for overcoming crisis-ridden developments are guiding principles. In addition to political participation, questions about emancipatory alternatives are also important. Last but not least, this focus aims to prepare social science theories and methods for school and non-formal education.

 

Key questions

  • Foundations and key concepts: Democracy and democratization, nature-culture relations, knowledge and technology cultures of institutions, cultural constitution of modern societies in the mirror of social change, social action and identity, economies between consumption and work, market and state, individuals and institutions.
  • Sociological, political science and economic analyses of social structures in contemporary societies: Interaction between social and cultural relations of difference, especially in the educational system, authoritarian tendencies of statehood and society, societal economization processes and economic transformation.
  • Global social, political and economic transformation processes: migration and diversity as subjects of science, culture and social practice, global learning and political education, global development, sustainability and socio-economic education
  • Social science education: critical political education; socio-economic education, gender-reflexive, heterogeneity-sensitive education

 

Selected publications

  • Aulenbacher, B./Riegraf, B./Völker, S. (2015): Feminist critique of capitalism. Einstiege 23. Münster: Westfälisches Dampfboot.
  • Biebricher, Th./Ptak, R. (2020): Social market economy and ordoliberalism - for an introduction. Hamburg: Junius.
  • Butterwegge, Ch./Hentges, G./Lösch, B. (eds.) (2018): On the way to another republic? Neoliberalism, location nationalism, and right-wing populism. Weinheim: Beltz Juventa.
  • Engartner, T./Hedtke, R./Zurstrassen, B. (2021): Sozialwissenschaftliche Bildung. Politik - Wirtschaft - Gesellschaft. Stuttgart: UTB.
  • Hentges, G. (ed.) (2020): Democracy in crisis - crisis of democracy? Society Diagnoses and challenges for political education (ed. on behalf of the Sir Peter Ustinov Institute, Vienna), Frankfurt a.M.: Wochenschau Verlag.
  • Reuter, J./Mecheril, P. (eds.) (2015): Key works in migration studies. Pioneering studies and reference theories. Wiesbaden: VS Springer.
  • Sänger, E. (2020): Becoming a parent between »baby television« and medical surveillance. An ethnography of prenatal ultrasound examinations. Bielefeld: transcript.
  • Weber, B. (ed.) (2021): Everyday knowledge, economic knowledge, socioeconomic education. Frankfurt a.M.: Wochenschau-Verlag. 

 

Selected research projects

  • RaisoN - Radicalization Processes through Conspiracy Ideologies: Effects on the Social Neighborhood as a Challenge for Educational and Counseling Work (01.01.2023 - 30.06.2026, Director: Gudrun Hentges / Schahrzad Farrokhzad (TH Köln)/ Birgit Jagusch (TH Köln), Funding: Federal Ministry of Education and Research - within the funding line "Current and Historical Dynamics of Right-Wing Extremism and Racism").

  • The End of the academic Career? A qualitative study on the status passage of professorial retirement (2019-2022, Director: Julia Reuter / Oliver Berli, Funding: DFG).