In Bremen, our research focuses primarily on social, cultural, and political inequalities, as well as on conflicts that may jeopardize social cohesion. At the same time, we investigate how social cohesion is generated through various social practices and processes.
Host Institution
The Universität Bremen is a mid-sized German university with approximately 18,000 students and about 100 academic programs. It is a member of the European university network YUFE. With 2,300 researchers, including 270 professors, the university covers a wide range of disciplines and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration. From 2012 to 2019, it held the status of a University of Excellence. One of its five major research areas is dedicated to social change and social policy, which is also the focus of the Bremen Section of RISC.
Contribution to the Overarching Theme of Social Cohesion
We advance the concept of social milieus and apply it to comparative analyses of social cohesion. To do so, we study milieus across different time periods, countries, and societal dynamics. A key focus lies on the examination of social mobility and gender-based inequalities. Another objective is to understand political networks and participation within social milieus in order to capture how political attitudes and affiliations related to cohesion evolve.
As part of the Qualitative Panel, we collect data on how media consumption and political engagement interrelate across different social contexts.
Another research project explores how marginalized and migrant milieus are perceived and evaluated. The focus is on these groups’ social networks and narratives. Our goal is to capture how they are perceived by society and how they experience belonging. For this purpose, we apply modern text analysis tools.
In the field of social movements, we conduct comparisons across various European countries to examine the issues that give rise to local protests and to explore their impact on social cohesion. In doing so, we analyze the interactions between protest, society, and political systems.
An additional focus lies in the study of digital communities that generate new forms of cohesion. Particularly in pioneering digital communities, new social practices and ideas of cohesion are emerging that can trigger societal transformations. We investigate how digital media serve as platforms for social cohesion.
Lastly, we focus on civic education among youth. We aim to understand how young people are socialized into societal conflicts and transformations. We study how civic education processes unfold across different social milieus and how these influence the political engagement of the next generation. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the findings are broadly anchored and translated into practical recommendations.
Knowledge Transfer
The transfer projects in Bremen center around questions of how mutual understanding across milieu boundaries can be achieved and how social actors reflect on their roles within the context of social cohesion. The goal is to develop transfer formats that foster dialogical reflection on social practices and milieu conflicts. To this end, we have established a transfer office at the Bremen Section that closely collaborates with the research projects to design transfer formats and coordinate activities. This office is intended to serve as a bridge to the central knowledge transfer efforts of RISC.
Part of the Coordinating Office
As one of three coordinating Sections, Bremen hosts the Coordinating Office of the Research Data Center of RISC. Additionally, the elected scientific director of RISC is a member of the Bremen Section.