Research and Teaching Unit 2: Methods of empirical social research
The Research and Teaching Unit 'Methods of Empirical Social Research' is responsible for teaching the methods of empirical social research and statistics in the Faculty's degree programmes. It is divided into the working group "Qualitative Methods" and the working group "Quantitative Methods". Our range of courses is characterised not only by its very high quality, but also by its particular thematic breadth and diversity compared to other universities. For this reason, the Faculty of Sociology is also particularly interesting for those who are interested in the subject area of empirical social research. In research, the department has a diverse range of topics. In addition to basic research on statistical and methodological questions, further research focuses lie in the area of criminology and political sociology, as well as in the study of interactions in everyday, institutionalised and media contexts.
- Research profile
The research profile of the research and teaching unit is characterised by a wide thematic range. In the quantitative field, research on basic methodological questions focuses, for example, on the statistical treatment of missing values in complex data sets and the modelling of longitudinal models with many survey points. Sociological research questions include the description and explanation of the life course development of juvenile delinquency, the social significance of singing and the question of causes and motives of social cohesion. In the qualitative field, the focus is on the methods of conversation analysis, ethnography, narrative interviews and visual procedures. The thematic focuses include biographical research as well as interaction in everyday, institutionalised and mass media contexts.
- Research projects
Ongoing projects
- GeSMin: "Gender and sexual diversity in focus: participation and diversity of lifestyles". BMBF-funded joint project with the SOEP at DIW Berlin. Duration 02/2020 to 01/2023".
- SOEP-CoV: "Socio-economic factors and consequences of the spread of the coronavirus in Germany". BMBF-funded joint project with SOEP at DIW Berlin. See www.soep-cov.de for more information. Duration: 04/2020 to 03/2021.
- Crime in the modern city
Completed projects
- The emergence and development of deviant and delinquent behaviour in the life course and its significance for social inequality processes
- The treatment of missing values in complex data sets
- Dynamic modelling of social indicators. A secondary analysis of data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study
- The prevention of pregnancy among adolescents
- Testing the "theory of planned behaviour" with special consideration of behavioural habits and interaction effects
- PolicyON
- Teaching
Teaching profile
The teaching profile of the department is characterised by a basic range of courses in the field of qualitative and quantitative methods and statistics. In addition, we also offer an unusually wide range of courses in the field of advanced methods and statistical procedures. In the quantitative field, this includes in-depth courses on questionnaire construction, sampling methods, methods and problems of online surveys, as well as statistical methods such as classical multivariate methods, latent class analysis, multilevel analysis, structural equation modelling and similar. In the qualitative field, students are taught in-depth ethnomethodology, conversation analysis, objective hermeneutics, interaction analysis, visual analysis and ethnography. The focus is not only on teaching methodological principles, but also on the concrete application of methods to specific research questions and thus on teaching empirical skills."Empirical practice"
In the 1-subject bachelor's degree programme in Sociology, there is a new study area "Empirical Practice" in module 30-M10.
The aim of empirical practice is to involve students in empirical research work at an early stage of their studies. This can take the form of events (e.g. workshops) or collaboration in research projects. It is also possible for students to work particularly intensively in an empirical direction in other courses so that this can be recognised in "Empirical Practice".
The module comprises a total of 120 hours.
Further information on the module can be found in the module handbook.
We have set up a mailing list for information on "Empirical Practice" via the electronic course catalogue (ekvv 300199).
Slides for the information event on "Empirical Practice" from 13/04/2016
Current offers for empirical practice:
Empirical practice: in seminar form (summer semester 2017)
- 300199 / Blank / Information on module 30-M10 Advanced Methods II.
Empirical practice: project work
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Courses
Please refer to the electronic course catalogue (ekvv) for events organised by the department.
- Publications
- Plauderlabor
On the occasion of Bielefeld University's fiftieth anniversary celebrations as part of the Uni.Stadt.Fest on 15 September 2019, conversation researchers from Bielefeld University conducted the Plauderlabor. The aim of the project was to provide visitors to the Uni.Stadt.Fest with insights into the working methods of conversation analysis and qualitative social research in general. The pop-up talk show "Talkaoke" bytheLondon-based artist collective "The People Speak" invited people to talk to others about any topic at a round table.
The resulting conversations were recorded by several cameras and analysed directly on site. Parallel to the pop-up talk show, the team of researchers searched for exciting conversational phenomena, transcribed and analysed them live on site and gave interested passers-by insights into the respective work steps and findings.
Saul Albert's Conversational Rollercoaster served as a model for the project. The chatting lab was a cooperative project between the Kern, Job (Faculty of Linguistics and Literary Studies) and Ayaß (Faculty of Sociology) working groups, supported by many other partners both inside and outside the university. You can find more information about the chat lab on the homepage.
- Team
- Contact
Sylke Voß
Sekretariat für Prof. Dr. Martin Kroh
Sekretariat für Prof. Dr. Simon Kühne
Sekretariat für Prof. Dr. Jost Reineckesekretariat.reinecke@uni-bielefeld.de
- Room
- Gebäude X D2-204
