Research ProjectsThe Greeks, the Germans, and the CrisisProject Website: www.ggcrisi.infoFunding: German Ministry for Education and Research Duration: 2014-2015 Project researchers in Germany: Franziska Scholl and Moritz Sommer Collaborator in Greece: Prof. Maria Kousis PhD (funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs, Culture and Sports of Greece) Project researchers in Greece: Kostas Kanellopoulos PhD, Marina Papadakis. Societal developments like the Eurozone crisis need interpretation: What is the cause of the problem? Who is to blame or to praise? Who should be in charge of reacting? Multiple answers are presented in the public sphere. Politicians, protest groups, economic actors, and many others present their respective interpretation of the crisis in the media. The research project focuses on the media reporting in two countries prominently involved in the Eurozone crisis: Greece and Germany. The core question of the project is: Who is made responsible by whom in the debate on the Eurozone crisis? We assume that public attribution of responsibility is not a matter of personal taste or idiosyncratic beliefs. Rather actors are motivated to present themselves positively in the public and propose actions to their favor. Also they are embedded in their culture and follow their respective general values. Accordingly, we want to explain the attribution patterns by the structural position of the actors, their cultural embeddedness and their values. In particular, we are interested in the mutual references between the two countries, Greece and Germany. How do actors in one country relate to actors in the other country and how does this change over time? Both countries are closely linked by the crisis development, though with very different roles and perspectives. The interpretation of the respective other country, its actions and duties are of major importance for the handling of the crisis and the relation between the two countries and its peoples. Volunteering, potential for volunteering and the potential for volunteering in unions among young people in Eastern GermanyFunding: Otto-Brenner-StiftungDuration: 2013-2014 Project researcher: Franziska Scholl Since volunteering usually initiates in people’s youth, a particular importance is attached to adolescents and their role within the context of a volunteering culture in the realm of civil society. Research on civil society participation has shown in multiple cases that the levels of volunteering in the East of Germany are considerably lower than in its western counterpart. Focusing on adolescents in eastern Germany the research project concentrates on a group that is particularly important for the research on volunteering. The research project uses existing data from standardized surveys to analyze in detail the scope and types of, as well as explanations for volunteering among East German adolescents. Existing studies such as the “Freiwilligensurvey” (Survey of volunteers), the study “Aufwachsen in Deutschland” (AID:A, Growing up in Germany) and the “Shell-Jugendstudie” (study on youth commissioned by Shell) are valuable and so far under-researched sources of information when taken together. In a first step, the here presented research project describes existing levels of volunteering among East German adolescents in a detailed manner. In a second step, large multivariate methods help to develop a typology of the different types that further serves as the basis for differentiated models of explanation for volunteering. Missing data in one sample can at least in parts be compensated through information of one of the other samples. In a last step the volunteering-type based explanation models help to conduct differentiated analyses of the volunteering potential. In each of these steps a special focus lies on volunteering in unions. Young researchers network: "New Perspectives on Social Movements and Protest"Funding: Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftDuration: 2010-2014 The young researchers network "New Perspectives on Social Movements and Protest" brings together 14 young academics working in the field of social movement studies and protest research. Next to continuous exchange about current topics in the field, the network seeks to push research in three central areas:
Further information: http://www.netzwerksozbew.de (German) Expectations and opinions concerning the grid development plan among the people involvedDuration: 2012-2014 In Germany there exist plans for a large extension and reconstruction of the existing grid. These plans include participatory procedures designed to give a voice to the people affected. Consultations are held to discuss preliminary plans for future energy markets and the necessary grid infrastructure. The process is particularly interesting because it potentially includes almost the entire population and because of the high level of public interest during the first steps of the process. The project looks at heavily affected people and their perspective on the consultation procedures. Therefore we conduct standardized surveys among participants of discussion meetings about the grid development plan 2012. We ask for expectations of the consultation procedure and opinions about the future process as well as about the other parties involved. Additionally we conduct guided interviews with the different players.First results of the standardized survey among participants of a public discussion on the grid development plan 2012 are published in German: Roose, Jochen/Scholl, Franziska, 2013: Ernsthafter Fachaustausch bei hoher Konflikterwartung: Einschätzungen zur Konsultation des Netzentwicklungsplans Strom 2012 durch Beteiligte. Ergebnisse einer Befragung bei den Informationstagen der Bundesnetzagentur. Berlin: Freie Universität, online. Roose, Jochen/Scholl, Franziska/Kühnle, Hannah, 2012: Erwartungen an die Konsultation zum Stromnetzentwicklungsplan 2012. Erste Ergebnisse einer Befragung. Berlin: Freie Universität, a HREF=" http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~jroose/KonsultKurzergeb01.pdf " target="_blank">http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~jroose/KonsultKurzergeb01.pdf. Transnationalisation across Borders in EuropeHabilitation projectDuration: 2004 - 2009 The process of European integration is supposed to lead to a single European social space. To which extent has the juridical dissolution of national borders, as promoted by the EU, affected the lifeworld activity of people living close to national borders? And are cross border activities only dependent on personal advantages or is a value consensus also influential, as the Parsonian tradition proposed? These research questions are analysed in a two-step design. Firstly, Eurobarometer data in connection with macro data are used for multilevel analysis. Additionally, the study is based on a standardised mail survey in three German cities situated close to national borders. Beyond interest in the neighbouring country, several activities are examined such as shopping, friendships and jobs. Publication: Roose, Jochen (2010): Vergesellschaftung an Europas Binnengrenzen. Eine vergleichende Untersuchung zu den kulturellen Voraussetzungen der europäischen Integration [Societisation at Europe’s internal borders. Comparative research on cultural preconditions of European integration]. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. The European Union and Attribution of Responsibility in Mass Mediawith Prof. Dr. Jürgen GerhardsDuration: 2004-2006 Funding: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) Project researcher: Anke Offerhaus The project analyses to what extent and under which circumstances responsibility for political action is publicly attributed to the European Union. As the public sphere is dominated by national media and national actors, we expect that the EU is the perfect scapegoat. EU representatives are by and large ignored by national media, thus they are unable to respond to national attribution processes by presenting their own perspective. Based on quantitative content analysis of newspapers these hypotheses are examined over time (1995 to 2004) and in comparison between the press the in United Kingdom and Germany. Results can be found in the following articles: Gerhards, Jürgen/Roose, Jochen/Offerhaus, Anke, 2013: Die Rekonfiguration von Verantwortungszuschreibungen im Rahmen staatlichen Wandels [The reconfiguration of the attribution of accountability in the context of governance change]. In: Michael Zürn/Matthias Ecker-Ehrhardt (Hg.): Die Politisierung der Weltpolitik. Frankfurt/M.: Suhrkamp, S. 109-133. Details. Gerhards, Jürgen/Roose, Jochen/Offerhaus, Anke, 2009: Die öffentliche Aushandlung von politischer Verantwortung im Mehrebenensystem [Who is responsible? The European Union, its nation states and the attribution of responsibility for success and failure in the mass media]. Sonderheft der Politischen Vierteljahresschrift "Politik in der Mediendemokratie" (Hg.: Barbara Pfetsch/Frank Marcinkowski), S. 529-558. Gerhards, Jürgen/Anke Offerhaus/Jochen Roose, 2007: Die öffentliche Zuschreibung von Verantwortung. Zur Entwicklung eines inhaltsanalytischen Instrumentariums [The public attribution of responsibility. Developing an instrument for content analysis], Kölner Zeitschrift für Soziologie und Sozialpsychologie 59, Heft 1, S. 106-123. Effects of Environmental Protest in the Federal Republic of GermanyFunded by Fritz Thyssen-StiftungDuration: 2003-2004 Project researcher: Manuela Beer, Patricia Deuser und Hanna Schlingmann. What are the effects of environmental protest in Germany? Protest event analysis, i.e. the analysis of environmental protests as they are reported in daily newspapers over the years, offers data on protest activity by the movement over long time-spans. The project uses data from the PRODAT-project by the Social Science Research Centre Berlin for 1970 to 1994 and the German data set of the TEA-project (Transformation of Environmental Activism) for 1988 to 2000. For the whole period covered, time series are collected on dimensions which might be affected by environmental protest, such as media attention to environmental issues, attitudes towards environmental protection, action of political and economic elites, environmental behaviour, and the environmental situation. If protest has an effect on these dimensions the effects should become visible in the aggregate as well as particular circumstances in each single conflict constellation. Results can be found in the following articles: Roose, Jochen, 2006: 30 Jahre Umweltprotest: Wirkungsvoll verpufft? [30 years of the environmental movement: Effectively squibbed?]. Forschungsjournal Neue Soziale Bewegungen 19, Heft 1, S. 38-49. Roose, Jochen, 2006: Auf dem Weg zur Umweltlobby. Zur Vertretung der Umweltinteressen in Deutschland. [On the way to a lobby for environment. On the representation of environmental interests in Germany]. In: Thomas Leif und Rudolf Speth (Hg.): Die fünfte Gewalt. Bonn: Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, S. 270-287. Fans and Fandomwith Prof. Dr. Mike S. Schäfer Duration: 2003-2010In some phase of their lives, most people adore a musician or become supporter of a football club. Others favour special books, cars, etc. The project describes, what fans do and how they become fans of their respective objects. Additionally, more specific theoretical questions are explored. Is the social structure of fans, understood as a specific participatory audience, comparable to people who participate politically? Is there a particular elite among fans, who accumulate fan-specific social and cultural capital, and is this elite socio-structurally comparable to the elite in general society? Is there an effect of transnational fan activity on the transnationality of other life spheres? With a standardised internet survey these questions are explored. Results can be found in the following articles: Mike S. Schäfer/Roose, Jochen (2008): Fan-Gemeinschaften: Basis politischer Gemeinschaften? [Fan communities: Basis of political communities?]. In: Gabriele Klein/Michael Meuser (Ed.): Fußball-Gemeinden. Zur politischen Soziologie eines populären Sports. Bielefeld: Transcript, pp. 201-226. Roose, Jochen (2010). Globalisierung und Fans [Globalisation and Fans]. In: Jochen Roose/Mike S. Schäfer/ Thomas Schmidt-Lux (Eds.): Fans. Soziologische Perspektiven. [Fans – Sociological Perspectives] Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 415-436. Roose, Jochen/Schäfer, Mike S. (2010). Fans und Partizipation [Fans and Participation]. In: Jochen Roose/ Mike S. Schäfer/Thomas Schmidt-Lux (Eds.): Fans. Soziologische Perspektiven [Fans – Sociological Perspectives]. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 363-386. Roose, Jochen/Schäfer, Mike S./ Schmidt-Lux, Thomas (2010). Fans in der soziologischen Theorie [Fans in Sociological Theory]. In: Jochen Roose/Mike S. Schäfer/Thomas Schmidt-Lux (Eds.): Fans. Soziologische Perspektiven [Fans – Sociological Perspectives]. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 27-45. Roose, Jochen/Schäfer, Mike S./ Schmidt-Lux, Thomas (2010). Einleitung: Fans als Gegenstand soziologischer Forschung [Introduction: Fans as the object of sociological research]. In: Jochen Roose/Mike S. Schäfer/Thomas Schmidt-Lux (Eds.): Fans. Soziologische Perspektiven. Wiesbaden: VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften, pp. 9-25. Europeanisation of National Environmental Organizations in Germany and the United KingdomDissertation projectDuration: 1998 - 2001 As political competencies on environmental policy shifted from the national to the European level, national environmental organisations have had to realign their strategies. The project analyses to which extent the organisations direct their political activities towards the European level. The project is based on semi-structured interviews with representatives of environmental NGOs in Germany and the United Kingdom. Results show, that the Germans are much more hesitant to address the European institutions while the British NGOs work on the European level to a great extent. Resasons can be found in the inner logic of the organisations. The traditional lobbying approach in Britain is well compatible with the situation in Brussels while the grassroots tradition of German NGOs cannot be transferred to the European level. The organisations’ members favour not only political goals but also means of achieving them. Thereby they hinder the NGOs from fundamentally changing their strategies. Results can be found in the following book and articles: Roose, Jochen (2003): Die Europäisierung der Umweltbewegung. Umweltorganisationen auf dem langen Weg nach Brüssel [The Europeanisation of environmentalism. Environmental organisations on the long road to Brussels]. Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag. Roose, Jochen (2003): Umweltorganisationen zwischen Mitgliedschaftslogik und Einflusslogik in der europäischen Politik [Environmental organisations between membership logic and influence logic in European policy]. In: Ansgar Klein u.a. (Eds.): Bürgerschaft, Öffentlichkeit und Demokratie in Europa. Opladen: Leske + Budrich, pp. 141-158. Roose, Jochen (2001): Die Basis und das ferne Brüssel. Umweltverbände zwischen Mitgliedschaftslogik und Einflusslogik in der europäischen Politik [The base and distant Brussels. Environmental organisations between membership logic and influence logic in European policy]. Forschungsjournal Neue Soziale Bewegungen, Vol. 14, Issue 4, pp. 70-77. 25 Years Öko-InstitutDuration: 2001Funding: Öko-Institut 25 years after its founding the Öko-Institut, an independent research institute for applied environmental research, reflects its history and perspectives with a study conducted by an external researcher. Based on semi-structured interviews the study describes the founding history of the institute, stemming from the German environmental movement and the need for movement based scientific expertise. Specifically, the study reflects the possibility of scientific research from an explicitly politically biased stand point. Results can be found in: Roose, Jochen: Made by Öko-Institut. Wissenschaft in einer bewegten Umwelt. Freiburg im Breisgau: Verlag Öko-Institut. The study is available in full text (German). Roose, Jochen (2006): Lobby durch Wissenschaft. Umweltverbände und ökologische Forschungsinstitute im Vergleich [Lobbying by science. Environmental organisations and ecological institutes in comparison]. Online Journal for Environmental Policy Studies (OJEPS), 1/2006, http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/ffu/akumwelt/ download/OJEPS_01_Roose.pdf. Marginal Employment in Berlin-Brandenburgwith Irmtraud SchlosserFunded: Hans Böckler-Stiftung Duration: 1997 - 1998 The official statistic underestimates the extent of marginal employment (defined as jobs which are subject to special regulations for social security) due to its measurement in the Mikrozensus. Based on a more precise measurement by the socio-econmic panel the project uses a weighing factor to correct for this bias and presents detailed results for the extent and structure of marginal employment in Berlin and Brandenburg with special attention to gender differences. Results can be found in: Roose, Jochen/Schlosser, Irmtraud (1999): Geringfügige Beschäftigung in Berlin und Brandenburg. [Marginal employment in Berlin and Brandenburg]. In: Zukunft im Zentrum (Hg.): Marginalisierung oder Existenzsicherung. Perspektiven der geringfügigen Beschäftigung in Berlin und Brandenburg. Berlin: Freie Universität Berlin, S. 15-69. Transformation of Environmental Activism (project researcher)Project coordinator: Christopher Rootes, University of Kent at CanterburyPrincipal investigator Germany: Prof. Dr. Dieter Rucht, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin Duration: 1997 - 2001 Funding: European Union The project examines the various forms of environmental activism, maps changes in their relative incidence over time and from one EU member state to another, examines changes in environmental movement organisations and their relationships with other actors within and outside the wider environmental movement, and advances explanations for the patterns of variation which are found. The principal objective of the project is to make a systematically comparative study of the incidence and forms of environmental activism and its relationship with environmental movement organisations in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, France, Spain, Greece, and Sweden, and at the level of the EU itself. Further Information can be found here. Results are presented in: Rootes, Christopher (Hg.), 2003: Environmental Protest in Western Europe. Oxford: Oxford University Press. For details see here. Rucht, Dieter/Roose, Jochen (2001): Neither Decline Nor Sclerosis: The Organisational Structure of the German Environmental Movement. West European Politics, Vol. 24, Issue 4, pp. 55-81. Rucht, Dieter/Roose, Jochen (1999): The German Environmental Movement at a Crossroads. Environmental Politics, Vol. 8, Issue 1, pp. 59-80. Rucht, Dieter/Roose, Jochen (2001): Zur Institutionalisierung von Bewegungen: Umweltverbände und Umweltprotest in der Bundesrepublik [On the institutionalisation of movements: Environmental groups and environmental protest in the Federal Republic]. In: Annette Zimmer/Bernhard Weßels (Ed.): Verbände und Demokratie in Deutschland, Opladen: Leske + Budrich, pp. 261-290. Rucht, Dieter/Roose, Jochen (2001): Von der Platzbesetzung zum Verhandlungstisch? Zum Wandel von Aktionsrepertoire und Struktur der Ökologiebewegung [From sit-ins to the negotiation table? On the changing activity repertoire and structure of the environmental movement]. In: Dieter Rucht (Ed.): Protest in der Bundesrepublik. Strukturen und Entwicklungen, Frankfurt/M.: Campus, pp. 173-210. |