The Jena Section investigates threats to social cohesion posed by the radical right, populism, and societal crises. In the spirit of a critical public sociology, it analyzes processes of inclusion and exclusion and examines emancipatory potentials within a diverse society.
Host Institution
The Jena Section of RISC focuses in particular on regional and transregional challenges to democratic culture. It is based at the Institut für Demokratie und Zivilgesellschaft (IDZ). The IDZ aims to strengthen democratic culture in Thuringia and eastern Germany. It studies structures and movements that pose threats to democracy and identifies potential strategies for strengthening civil society and promoting democratic values.
Contribution to the Overarching Theme of Social Cohesion
Regional Anchoring and Political Challenges
Jena is one of three RISC Sections located in eastern Germany. Its research and transfer activities are closely connected to regional circumstances. Thuringia is characterized by a predominantly rural landscape and faces specific challenges to democratic culture, particularly due to the rise of right-wing populism.
Our research draws on a broad concept of democratic culture, based on the Council of Europe’s definition. This concept includes values, attitudes, and practices such as commitment to the rule of law and human rights, recognition of diversity, protection of minority rights, and support for intercultural dialogue. Our research and transfer activities also incorporate experiential knowledge and expertise from practitioners, academics, and individuals who face processes of exclusion in their everyday lives.
During RISC’s second funding phase, we are focusing on two main areas:
- Allyship:
First, we study the social dynamics between dominant social groups and marginalized communities. The central concept here is that of allyship, understood as solidarity-based engagement. We analyze how marginalized groups perceive this engagement and what potential it holds for promoting cohesion. This perspective allows us to examine the conditions under which solidarity emerges and contributes to a more stable social fabric. - Strategies of Antidemocratic Actors and Digital Polarization:
Second, we examine the strategic approaches of antidemocratic actors, particularly in the context of the climate crisis and ecological transformation. We investigate how such actors exploit societal crises for their own purposes, with a focus on environmental transformation. We analyze the dynamics of polarization on social media, where antidemocratic groups often instrumentalize issues such as climate protection and ecological change to heighten division and conflict. Our research explores the extent to which these actors find resonance in society and develops counterstrategies aimed at strengthening cohesion in times of crisis.
Knowledge Transfer
Knowledge transfer at the Jena Section of RISC takes many forms. Through public events and publications aimed at specific audiences, we promote exchange between science, civil society, politics, and the media. Examples include the discussion series at the Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar and the Zeitschrift für Rechtsextremismusforschung (ZRex), which is managed at the Jena Section. ZRex is dedicated to analyzing the many facets of how democratic culture and social cohesion are threatened by radical to extreme right-wing ideologies.