Social Pedagogy, especially Diversity Research

The team at the working area of Social Pedagogy specializes in diversity research, examining how service users are shaped within key areas of social work and social pedagogy. The team focuses on processes that create categories of difference, both historically and in the present day. In accordance with the German child and youth care legislation (Social Code Book VIII) our research covers young people and families in all areas of child and youth welfare.

The working area's research and teaching focus is on the experiences of discrimination (intersectional and institutional) associated with various dimensions of diversity, such as age, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and social milieu. In this context, it is of paramount importance to us that the creation and manifestation of difference and discrimination are not only understood in terms of interindividual differences among those affected. Rather, structural discrimination resulting from the way institutions and individuals in social work and social pedagogy engage with young people and families must always be considered.

We are therefore also interested in the potential of social pedagogical interventions to restore or maintain the agency of the service users, and in concepts for diversity sensitivity, discrimination sensitivity, and discrimination prevention. This is why we focus particularly on ways of strengthening the young people’s and family’s rights through comprehensive participation in all matters and areas of life that affect them.

If you are interested in collaborating with us on research projects, the development of good practice, evaluations, lectures, talks or further education activities, please feel free to contact us. We welcome enquiries from the scientific community, as well as from individuals working in the fields of social pedagogy, education and policy.