Organisation profile

The research activities of the institute are grouped around the overarching theme of "Social Pedagogy in Diverse Societies". The institute's teaching and research take account of current societal challenges, which are characterized by an increasing differentiation and heterogenization of life situations, identities and related social problems. Accordingly, the resulting disciplinary, professional and practical consequences for social pedagogy must be empirically mapped and theoretically penetrated.

Thematically, the institute is oriented towards four overlapping strands of social pedagogical research, which are grounded in national and international traditions of theory building and empirical research:

  • Welfare State and Social Services
  • Gender and violence
  • Childhood and youth research
  • Vocational education research in social work and social pedagogy

As one of a few locations in Germany, Leuphana is currently establishing a research focus on social pedagogy with a polyvalent orientation. Basic and application-oriented research is being conducted with a view to both occupational field-oriented and training-oriented topics.

Main research areas

The research areas at the institute take an interdisciplinary social science approach to numerous internationally relevant topics in social pedagogy, such as child and youth welfare and child protection; domestic violence, inequalities, stereotyping and prejudice (especially gender, age, ethnicity, religion); (forced) migration; vocational training; trust and empathy in professional-client relationships.

Qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods approaches are used. At the same time, the anchoring in essential reference disciplines of social pedagogy (educational science, psychology and sociology) and interdisciplinary joint research projects play a decisive role for the institute.

  1. Published

    Verhindern und Normieren. Über präventive Bemühungen der Optimierung der Ernährung von Kindern

    Schmidt, F., 02.2020, In: Zeitschrift für Pädagogik. 66, 1, p. 48-55 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Racist mobilisation and sexualisation in the ‘refugee debate’ in Germany

    Köttig, M. & Sigl, J., 01.03.2020, In: The Journal of Sociology. 56, 1, p. 69-83 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Rezension zu: Schlittmaier, Anton: Philosophie in der Sozialen Arbeit. Ein Lehrbuch. Stuttgart 2018

    Sandermann, P., 2019, In: Zeitschrift für Sozialpädagogik. 17, 4, p. 437-440

    Research output: Journal contributionsCritical reviewsResearch

  4. Published

    Absente Körper und institutionelle Doppelgänger. Zur kollektiven Vorbereitung altersgruppenbezogener Teilnehmerschaften

    Alberth, L., 2020, Materialitäten der Kindheit: Körper - Dinge - Räume. Bollig, S., Alberth, L. & Schindler, L. (eds.). 1 ed. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, p. 123-139 17 p. (Kinder, Kindheiten und Kindheitsforschung; vol. 22).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Materialitäten der Kindheit: Körper - Dinge - Räume

    Bollig, S. (Editor), Alberth, L. (Editor) & Schindler, L. (Editor), 11.04.2020, 1 ed. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. 270 p. (Kinder, Kindheiten und Kindheitsforschung; vol. 22)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesCollected editions and anthologiesResearch

  6. Published
  7. Published

    Körpermodifikationen und leibliche Erfahrungen in der Adoleszenz: Eine feministisch-phänomenologisch orientierte Studie zu Inter-Subjektivierungsprozessen

    Ganterer, J., 2019, Opladen: Verlag Babara Budrich. 346 p. (Schriftenreihe der ÖFEB-Sektion Sozialpädagogik; vol. 3)

    Research output: Books and anthologiesMonographsResearch

  8. Published

    Zum Demokratiedefizit in der Sozialen Arbeit mit ehemals rechtsorganisierten Rechtsextremen

    Sigl, J., 2019, Soziale Arbeit in der Demokratie: Demokratieförderung in der Sozialen Arbeit. Köttig, M. & Röh, D. (eds.). Opladen: Verlag Babara Budrich, p. 228-237 10 p. (Theorie, Forschung und Praxis der Sozialen Arbeit; vol. 18).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Frauenbilder - Männerbilder: Gender im Rechtsrock am Beispiel Brandenburgs

    Brasch, S., Büttner, F., Reich, J. & Sigl, J., 2019, Rechtsrock: Aufstieg und Wandel neonazistischer Jugendkultur am Beispiel Brandenburgs. Botsch, G., Raabe, J. & Schulze, C. (eds.). 1 ed. Berlin: be.bra wissenschaft verlag, p. 301-320 20 p. (Potsdamer Beiträge zur Antisemitismus- und Rechtsextremismusforschung; vol. 1).

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Different bodies: Normality and embodiments of disability and gender

    Ganterer, J. & More, R., 03.2019, In: Sodobna PEDAGOGIKA – Journal of Contemporary Educational Studies. 70, 1, p. 160-173 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review