Research
Research at SOFI is organised into three research areas — “Humanising Work and Employment”, “Public Goods and Infrastructure” and “Work Experience – Way of Living – Inequality” — as well as two cross-cutting focus themes: "Socio-ecological Transformation" and “Social Cohesion”.
Our work focuses on key societal issues, ranging from transformations in the worlds of work and employment to social cohesion, and the production of public goods as well as social inequality and the common good.
Research Area
Humanising Work and Employment
The worlds of work are in a state of flux: digitalisation, decarbonisation as well as demographic and geopolitical shifts are significant forces of change. Social research has to analyse these developments and provide empirical results and stimuli for potential and desirable futures of work.
Research Area
Public Goods and Infrastructures
Public goods are essential for every free and diverse society, serving as key drivers of social and ecological change. Their performance and capacity for innovation shape the central transformation processes of our time while also reflecting issues of distributional and societal conflicts.
Research Area
Work Experience – Way of Living – Inequality
The research area “Work Experience – Way of Living – Inequality” combines longstanding and important scientific perspectives at SOFI – i.e. sociological studies of workers’ consciousness and the analysis of social inequality — against the backdrop of current socioeconomic and ecological transformation processes.
Focus Theme
Socio-Ecological Transformation
The ecological transformation of society is currently underway. Its societal implications represent a central social issue of the 21st century. However, how will this transformation unfold, and how can the conflicts of transformation be managed?
Read more
Focus Theme
Social Cohesion
In a time of significant social transformations, the question of the stability of social cohesion becomes particularly urgent, as distribution conflicts and social forces of disintegration as well as new bonds shape societal developments.
Focus Theme
Social Places Research
An established research focus and core element of SOFI’s profile is the study of “Soziale Orte” (translates to “Social Places”). These refer to places, spaces and forms of cooperation at the local level that develop innovative, public-interest-oriented/ common-good-oriented formats of social cohesion.
Focus Theme
Pandemiefolgenforschung
Die Coronapandemie hat weitreichende gesellschaftliche Veränderungen angestoßen und die Defizite und Potenziale unseres Gemeinwesens sichtbar gemacht. Sie hat Arbeitsbedingungen und Arbeitsbeziehungen verändert, neue Anforderungen an kommunales und staatliches Handeln gestellt und Fragen nach gesellschaftlichem Zusammenhalt, Anerkennung und politischem Vertrauen aufgeworfen.