Social Sciences in Frankfurt

Social Sciences in Frankfurt cut across multiple paradigms and contribute to research and teaching in the social sciences by placing emphasis on various theoretical foundations and empirical perspectives. The various disciplines are closely interlinked in the curriculum, and a strong emphasis is put on profiled theory orientation in teaching . This feature reflects the various traditions of social sciences connected with the name of Frankfurt, in particular the Frankfurt School. Although the Frankfurt School remains formative in the image of the courses provided and in the external perception of the Faculty, and is often asked about, the term does not sufficiently reflect the heterogeneity of the research institutions represented in the Faculty today, nor the universally professional self-image of the staff.

Against this background, the social sciences represented in the Faculty find their proof of quality, international reputation and lasting attractiveness for students in the comprehensive representation and integration of the disciplines of sociology, political science and social psychology. The organisation of the disciplines into three Institutes (in the summer semester 2004) characterises social sciences at Frankfurt University. The reason for this is the fact that the analysis of complex structures is one of the paramount roles of social-scientific analysis – especially the analysis of

1. various social formations, each structured by specific relations of inequality and power,
2. inter-related national and international structures and processes of interest articulation and of political decision-making.
3. processes of the articulation and transformation of ideas and interests into identities and biographies, as well as the internalisation of norms and values in educational processes.

In this sense, the Faculty is a unit with its own history and a specific level of organisational differentiation. It is essentially marked by the mutual complementation of sociology, political science and social psychology. This complementary profile is further divided up by the range of methodical and methodological reflections offered across institutional boundaries and by the participation in teacher training, which is offered equally across the institutes.

geändert am 06. September 2011  E-Mail: Webmasterwebredaktion@soz.uni-frankfurt.de