Reconciling work and family life

... is the topic of the current issue of Portal, the magazine of the University of Potsdam. Among the authors are the holder of the Chair of Inequality Research and Social Stratification Analysis and his assistant. Prof. Verwiebe focuses on care work - what it is, who is carrying it out and why there is such an imbalance among genders. An important point of his is the following: "The economic and the family principle are contradictory." This is also a theme in Annet Wadewitz's text about the daily challenges of being a single mother to two teenagers during the Covid 19-pandemic.

→ article by Annett Wadewitz / → article by Prof. Verwiebe / → read the magazine

Transformations - about the new blog of the University of Potsdam

In the newest issue of the university magazine Portal Transfer Roland Verwiebe talks about both the origins and the future of the blog ≠ transformation. More information can be found here:

→ read the article / → read the magazine

The value of work in crisis

The importance of work has diminished, leisure time and family have become more important. But the importance of work for people often only becomes apparent when it is gone.

You've certainly asked yourself the famous lottery question before: You win a large amount of money, so you're set for life. Would you retire or continue to work? If you prefer the latter, you think like a large part of Austrians.
"Work in Austria is incredibly important for individual life", says sociologist Bernhard Kittel of the Institute of Economic Sociology at the University of Vienna.

He speaks of a "very specific situation" by international standards. Leisure time is very important to Austrians compared to work. "At the same time, people can hardly imagine not working." Hungary, for example, take their work very seriously compared to leisure time. "But they would immediately stop working if they could." ...

→ read more

For the first time, the Chair of Inequality Research and Social Stratification Analysis presented a book reading of the recently published anthology "Soziologische Momente im Alltag" on January 28 2020.
The four authors Renate Steger, Lena Seewann, Raimund Haindorfer and David Binders illustrated with their short stories that sociological concepts and theories can often be discovered in everyday situations. The aim of the evening was to introduce sociological thinking to first-year students or people interested in sociology in an entertaining and accessible way.
The following short stories were read:

- "Iwona, Swetlana oder Maria? Die Rolle von Netzwerken bei der Vermittlung von Haushaltshilfen" von Renate Steger
- "Iwona, Svetlana or Maria? The role of networks in the placement of domestic help" by Renate Steger

- "Die Lust am Erlebnis. Das Beispiel Skitouren" von Raimund Haindorfer
- "The pleasure of the experience. The example of ski tours" by Raimund Haindorfer

- "Religöse Rotznase. Die Annäherung von Heiligem und Profanem" von Lena Seewann
- "Religious snot. The convergence of the sacred and the profane" by Lena Seewann

- "Das Gestrüpp am Fußballplatz. Schichtübergreifende Distinktion und symbolische Grenzziehungen" von David Binder
- "The undergrowth by the football field. Cross-layer distinction and symbolic demarcation lines" by David Binder

The immigration from EU-Member States, third countries and refugees from countries at war like Syria increasingly shape life in Austria. Their arrival changes or questions our values. But: Is that true? Lena Seewann presented research findings answering this question on October 28 at the Robert Jungk Bibliothek in Salzburg. With 60 listeners she discussed value systems and how they form in an immigration society. Empirical findings show that value systems of immigrants, their children and the resident population do not differ by much. Nonetheless: Migration is value defining, both for immigrants and those welcoming them.

"Where to live?" - About housing as a commodity and social urban development

A conversation with Roland Verwiebe about the housing market, the value of social mixing as well as both ineffective and hopeful solutions to the problem.

→ read here

Value change and formation in Austria

Discussion by the research association "Interdisziplinäre Wertforschung" of the University of Vienna on July 18 2019

On July 18 the research association presented the two recently published works  "Quo vadis, Österreich? Wertewandel zwischen 1990 und 2018" and "Werte und Wertebildung aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive". Main research findings were displayed and discussed with experts.

Media reports:

• Studie: Soziale Dimension von Religion nimmt zu (ORF) / Study: Social dimension of religion increases
• Studie: Christen und Muslime unterscheiden sich wenig (ORF) / Study: Christians and Muslims hardly differ
• Österreichern werden Freunde und Freizeit wichtiger, Religion nicht (APA) / Friends and free time matter more to Austrians, not religion