The human body is a social artifact: social structures, processes and discourses inscribe themselves into the body, shape it and influence how bodies are viewed and treated. Social reality is also produced and physically experienced in bodily practices. The team at the junior professorship of Body Sociology is investigating this double embodiment of society.
At the Body Sociology Working Group, we conduct theoretical and empirical research on social phenomena related to bodies and physicality. Theoretically, we are primarily oriented towards practice theory and combine this with situationist, interactionist and discourse theory approaches. Our empirical research is qualitative in nature. In particular, we prosecute ethnographic research strategies, which we combine with discourse and subjectivization analytical approaches. Our research combines questions of the sociology of the body with approaches from the sociology of knowledge and human differentiation research.
The junior professorship is affiliated to the Collaborative Research Center (CRC) funded by the German Research Foundation ( DFG ) and the core research area Georg Forster Forum (GFF).
In addition to the ongoing externally funded projects, research also takes place in the dissertation projects supervised at the research unit.
We offer courses in the bachelor’s and master’s degree programs. The spectrum ranges from basic and specialization courses in the sociology of the body to subject-related seminars and methods courses in the field of qualitative social research.
In addition, we offer the Body Sociology Working Group colloquium , in which ongoing qualification theses at the research unit are supervised and guests have the opportunity to discuss their research.
If you would like to write a final thesis at the Body Sociology Working Group, please log in to us with a topic proposal one semester before you plan to register your thesis.
- For a final thesis in the summer semester by February 15
- For a final thesis in the winter semester until August 15
We first check whether supervision at our research unit is an option. This depends on our capacities and the fit with our research unit in terms of content and methodology.
You then develop your topic idea further with our advising into an elaborated research proposal.
In addition to working on your topic, you will take part in the colloquium on the sociology of the body. Please log in to JOGUStINe to register for this. You will present your own work on (at least) one date and discuss it with the other participants.
