The Konstanz Section of the 'Research Centre Social Cohesion' (RISC) introduces a cultural research perspective and will above all contribute to the cluster 'Theories, Policies and Cultures of Cohesion' within the joint research agenda of the participating institutions across Germany. It systematically combines questions from law, literature and media studies on the one hand and historical, anthropological and sociological issues on the other. 

The researchers in the Konstanz division are primarily interested in the origins of social cohesion and the conditions under which it evolves. They do not isolate any cultural dimensions in the narrower sense but instead observe them in their interaction with socio-economic, political and institutional factors. It is here that the Konstanz division sees the real contribution of a cultural research approach to the alliance as a whole.

Migration and Citizenship

Four thematic research priorities are planned, which are also inspired by the two other cluster blocks. In the thematic field 'Constitution, Migration and Integration', legal questions are at the forefront: from the definition of membership to the role of the constitution in societal discourses. Several members of the Konstanz group focus on 'narratives' and their impact on societal self-perceptions, starting from the assumption that the positioning of individuals and groups is not only influenced by socio-economic factors but equally by narrative accounts. Historical and ethnographic research projects will pursue the institute’s central topic of social cohesion in the context of inclusion and exclusion in gainful employment. Fourthly, the group will deal in an international comparison of the political and social consequences for social cohesion emerging as a result of changing media infrastructures and transformation experiences worldwide.

Interactive Processes at the Local Level

Apart from delivering new theoretical und empirical insights and related policy advice, the Konstanz researchers want to stimulate interactive processes at the local level. Among the planned measures are a participatory narrative project and a training programme for integration coordinators. As an overarching contribution to research and transfer, the Konstanz division of the RISC plans to publish a collective work on 'Key Concepts of Social Cohesion'. This will demonstrate various dimensions of cohesion from a scientific perspective and also make them accessible to a non-academic audience.

Research Projects

All research projects at the Konstanz site can be found here.