Focus Groups

The focus groups at RISC aim to strengthen cross-thematic collaboration and enable a flexible response to current social developments. They complement our cross-cutting conferences by facilitating a more ongoing exchange on specific topics that are addressed in several or all of RISC’s thematic areas. The goal is to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, generate new research ideas, and contribute to current debates. To this end, the groups organize, for example, internal workshops, public events, blog series, or publications.

At RISC, various researchers across different locations, disciplines, and subject areas are engaged in studying the phenomenon of antisemitism. The focus group brings this expertise together and pursues three goals: As a network, it creates a space for the exchange of research experiences. At the same time, it ensures that this expertise at RISC is visible and accessible to the outside world. We are available for both professional exchange with external colleagues and for inquiries from policymakers and the media. Last but not least, the network aims to strengthen research on antisemitism at RISC. Workshops and symposia on specific research questions are planned.

 

Group members: Dr. Sina Arnold, Dr. Felix Axster, Prof. Dr. Ullrich Bauer, Dr. habil. Mathias Berek, Prof. Dr. Oliver Decker, Dr. Jean-Yves Gerlitz, Dr. Hannah Lotte Lund, Prof. Dr. Gert Pickel, Prof. Dr. Jonas Rees, Dr. Katarina Ristić, Prof. Dr. Stefanie Schüler-Springorum

The focus group “Human Rights and Social Cohesion” examines the role that human rights norms and institutions play in democratic stability, social participation, and social cohesion. In light of authoritarian tendencies, social inequality, and political polarization, human rights are under pressure worldwide, including in European democracies. Their connection to social cohesion is therefore a central area of research and reflection at RISC.

The focus group views human rights as the legal and institutional foundation and as the social and moral infrastructure of democratic societies. It examines how human rights standards enable participation, how their erosion deepens social divisions, and what conditions contribute to their sustainable safeguarding. Human rights are understood as a cross-cutting issue that touches on numerous policy and life domains—from migration, education, and health to work, housing, and digitalization, as well as policing, the judiciary, and environmental justice.

The focus group is situated within a broad interdisciplinary field of debate that brings together perspectives from the fields of law, the social sciences, history, cultural studies, and social psychology. It builds on key RISC topics such as democratic institutions, political culture, social inequality, and conflicts, while highlighting existing research, fostering connections, and developing new synergies.

In addition to interdisciplinary research, the focus group emphasizes reflective knowledge communication and research-based transfer. It sees itself as an internal and external platform for experts and contributes scientifically grounded perspectives to public, political, and civil society debates. Planned activities include publications in various formats, workshops, and exchange forums, as well as initiatives for its own research and transfer projects.

The focus group is open to all interested RISC members and is designed with a long-term perspective. The goal is to anchor and further develop human rights perspectives as a central cross-cutting theme within RISC.

 

Group members: Dr. Sina Arnold, Dr. Felix Axster, Prof. Dr. Oliver Decker, Ines Grau, Dr. Natalie Grimm, Prof. Dr. Albrecht Koschorke, Prof. Dr. Stephan Lessenich, Dr. Kathrin Leipold, PD Dr. Barbara Luethi, Dr. Hannah Lotte Lund, Prof. Dr. Maren Möhring, Janine Patz, Prof. Dr. Gert Pickel, Alena Marie Rathke, Christoph Richter, Dr. Verena Schneider, Dr. Alexander Yendell

 

Contact:

  • Prof. Dr. Stephan Lessenich (stephan.lessenich@fgz-risc.de)
  • PD Dr. Barbara Luethi (barbara.luethi@fgz-risc.de)
  • Dr. Alexander Yendell (alexander.yendell@fgz-risc.de)