Civic engagement, personal development and knowledge transfer
Civic engagement, personal development
The Faculty of Social Sciences promotes civic engagement, knowledge transfer and students’ personal development through a wide range of initiatives. Thanks to the highly interdisciplinary nature of the degree programmes and a broad selection of optional modules for in-depth study and specialisation, students are afforded a high degree of self-determination and freedom of choice, which has a positive impact on their personal development.Students are encouraged to become actively involved in social and political contexts whilst still studying, in order to foster their engagement in civil society. Within the university, this involves participation in the democratic institutions and bodies of student and/or academic self-governance; outside the university, it involves voluntary work and community service. In modules that are firmly integrated into the degree programme, students link their practical experiences with theoretical knowledge, reflect on their actions and their own role, and place these within the context of their knowledge of social theory.
This integration into the degree programme takes place, for example, through the following modules:
• SQ.SoWi.3 - Community Service: Voluntary work at a non-profit organisation in Göttingen, arranged through the Bonus Volunteer Centre (6 C/2 SWS)
• SQ.SoWi.4 - Civic engagement/voluntary work (6 C/2 SWS)
• SQ.SoWi.1000 - Membership of or involvement in student or academic self-governance (6 C/1 SWS)
Many people are familiar with the typical benefits of a semester abroad: you develop intercultural skills, get to know a new country and its culture, as well as many other people from different nations, and make new friends. Gaining new academic insights at another university provides fresh perspectives and requires you to step out of your comfort zone. Furthermore, academic studies confirm that experience abroad is immensely beneficial for both social and academic skills. Students’ international mobility is promoted through a wide range of partnerships with foreign universities, particularly within the framework of the Erasmus Programme.
The Faculty of Social Sciences actively participates in the Integration & Diversity at the University of Göttingen (InDiGU) project, which offers students the opportunity to acquire intercultural competence in both theory and practice.
Through practice-oriented training sessions, participants gain an understanding of the dynamics of intercultural communication and develop their ability to establish and constructively shape intercultural relationships. Participants then undertake voluntary work in an international context, for example by supporting international students or acting as integration tutors in student halls of residence.
Knowledge Transfer
The University of Göttingen aims to generate knowledge and disseminate it to society. Below are examples of various projects that shape the transfer of knowledge from social science research and teaching.The ‘SowiLAB’ project, run by the Faculty of Social Sciences, brings social science research into school lessons in an age-appropriate way. It enables pupils to engage with current issues such as social inequality, migration, anti-feminism and climate change, and encourages them to reflect on society. The aim is to spark scientific curiosity and open up new perspectives beyond the usual curriculum. The content is tailored individually to the needs of each school.
>> Further information on SowiLAB (currently only available in German)
Teaching research involves lecturers supervising student research projects. In the Social Sciences degree programme, the specialist knowledge acquired during the course is brought together at the end of the programme in interdisciplinary teaching research projects. The programme offers a dedicated module for this purpose (B.Sowi.2000). These modules transcend disciplinary boundaries and focus on socially relevant issues. As equal partners in the learning process, students conduct independent research in groups, thereby learning to put their acquired knowledge into practice. At the end, everyone presents their findings in the form of a poster; written papers may be published in the anthology of the SowiPro series.
>> Further information on teaching and research (currently only available in German)
Housing is increasingly emerging as ‘the’ central social issue in Germany. Those who are homeless face massive restrictions on their rights and can scarcely participate in social life. Tens of thousands of people are reliant on accommodation provided by local authorities under regulatory arrangements, often in undignified conditions – in communal rooms, with shared bathrooms and toilets, and without meals. Others ‘live’ with acquaintances, in their cars, in garages or out in the open, perhaps in a tent. Alongside these forms of homelessness, however, so-called ‘problem properties’ are also increasingly making headlines in the media: these are buildings characterised by dilapidated structures, noise, filth and, often, crime. People, including many children, live here in appalling conditions and often in severely overcrowded living spaces. This results in territorial stigmatisation, and moving house or taking up an apprenticeship or paid employment becomes virtually impossible due to their residential address.
In his research and teaching, Prof. Timo Weishaupt, Ph.D., addresses these and many other topics from a gender-sensitive and sociological perspective. Central to this is always the critical question of how the (German) welfare state responds to these challenges and whether it might even be contributing to the emergence and entrenchment of housing shortages and homelessness. In addition to his social science publications, he is keen to contribute his expertise in the spirit of ‘public sociology’ to (local) politics and practice, public events and the press.
The final report on the DFG-funded project can be found here.
Further information and publications can be found on the homepage of Prof. Timo Weishaupt, Ph.D.