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.