Humanities, Cultural Studies and Social Sciences

Projects funded by the "Gender in Focus" program

• Diversity in Print (Elisabeth Bethge) - 2025/26

  Title

  Diversity in Print: How Diversity Unlocks Innovation Potential and Shapes Institutional Structures

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Chair of Strategic & International Management

  Abstract

  Gender and diversity dimensions in the culture of academic publishing.

  Which topics make it into academic journals, and who makes the decision? Diversity in Print is a planned research project that explores this question by examining how the composition of editorial teams – in terms of sex|gender and regional background – shapes topic selection, the visibility of different perspectives and fairness in the peer-review process. As journals play a part in determining which knowledge is made visible, a lack of diversity could narrow the scope of debates, distribute opportunities unequally and undermine trust.

  The current funding is intended for the preparation of a large-scale project. The focus is on analysing metadata from around 1,200 academic journals. The data collected includes freely accessible information on editorial boards, their regional location and disciplinary tradition, thematic profiles, as well as transparency and open science. This data will be extracted, quality-assured, harmonised and converted into comparable indicators. On this basis, the follow-up project will empirically test hypotheses regarding the relationships between diversity in editorial teams, thematic breadth and characteristics of the peer-review process.

  Graphic Abstractpdf, 2 mb · depdf, 2 mb · de

• Fluid (In)equality: The career trajectories of female engineers (Laura Künzel) - 2025/26

  Title

  Fluid (In)equality: The career trajectories of female water infrastructure engineers between tradition and transformation

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Institute of Sociology (General and Theoretical Sociology)

  Abstract

  This research project examines how gender inequalities in technical professions arise, persist or are transformed – using water infrastructure as a case study. The focus is on the extent to which work and decision-making processes in this key infrastructure sector constitute spaces for the (re)production of gender relations. Drawing on qualitative interviews with female engineers, the project analyses experiences of participation, recognition and influence, as well as challenges such as balancing care work and a career.

  Theoretically, the project combines approaches from the sociology of work, technology and Environmental Sociology with feminist organisational and infrastructure research. Sex|gender is understood here as a structuring principle of technical organisations – drawing on the concepts of Gendered Organisation Studies and feminist technology studies. The ‘Female Employee Voice’ perspective makes it possible to highlight the dynamics of visibility, being heard and exerting influence in male-dominated contexts.

  The project makes a twofold contribution: it bridges theoretical gaps between sex|gender, technology and environmental research, and offers empirically grounded insights into a professional field that has hitherto been little studied. In doing so, it contributes to an understanding of how issues of sex|gender, technology and ecological transformation can be intertwined.

• Gender and Empathic Accuracy (Julia Freitag) - 2025/26

  Title

  The Role of Sex and Gender in Empathic Accuracy

  Affiliation

  Institute of Psychology, Chair of Developmental Psychology

  Abstract

  How do people manage to accurately assess the emotional state of the person they are interacting with – and what role does gender play in this? These questions are at the heart of our project. We examine both the biological sex of the person making the assessment and that of the person whose emotions are being assessed, as both factors can influence empathic judgements. On the part of the assessor, it is known that motivational aspects relating to the accurate understanding of others can differ depending on sex and gender. At the same time, findings show that the attribution of emotions can also be shaped by gender-related stereotypes on the part of the person being assessed. Our aim is to investigate these reciprocal processes within a unified theoretical framework that integrates both perspectives. As the (university) chair of Developmental Psychology, we also take into account possible age differences that may arise, for example, from motivational, sensory or generation-specific factors.

• Gender, Sexualities and Forms of Relationship in the New Testament (Ursula Ulrike Kaiser) - 2025/26

  Title

  In All Its Diversity: Sex, Sexualities and Forms of Relationship in the New Testament and its Contexts

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Theology, Chair of New Testament Studies

  Abstract

  Societal perceptions of sex and sexualities, as well as the associated ways of life, continue to be shaped by religious premises. Currently, an increasingly conservative trend can be observed in the discourse (both within the churches and in the theological discipline), in which, amongst other things, biblical texts are used to promote heteronormativity as the attitude consistent with faith in Christ. This anthology, funded with funds from the Open Access publication scheme of ‘Gender in Focus’, challenges such an interpretation of New Testament writings. Fourteen German and US theologians highlight here – using, amongst other things, an intersectional methodological approach – the complex interweaving of biblical texts with ancient culture and society. This brings to light a diverse range of positions on sex, sexualities and forms of relationship that shaped discussions within early Christianity. The book’s themes include marriage and other marriage-like relationships, divorce, culturally conditioned asymmetrical gender relations, concepts of sex|gender and reproduction based on philosophical and medical premises, counter-cultural approaches to freedom from marriage, concepts of the body in general, and visions of the abolition of gender difference from an eschatological perspective. The applicant, Ursula Ulrike Kaiser, is a contributor to and co-editor of the volume.

  In addition to its publication as a printed book, its availability via an open-access publication (CC BY 4.0) is intended to deliberately counteract the male citation cartels that continue to dominate theological scholarship.

  The anthology is available at: https://www.mohrsiebeck.com/buch/in-aller-vielfalt-9783161705816/External link

• Puberty X Culture (Nora Fehmer) - 2025/26

  Title

  Puberty X Culture – Gender-specific factors influencing the psychosocial development of girls in European versus African contexts

  Affiliation

  Institute of Psychology, Youth Research Unit

  Abstract

  Adolescent girls experience the physical and psychosocial changes of puberty differently from their male peers – and are significantly more likely to be affected by issues such as depressive symptoms, anxiety disorders or eating disorders. Cultural ideals of beauty and media norms further exacerbate these challenges. The project investigates which individual, social and cultural factors, in the context of Europe versus Africa, promote or hinder healthy development during puberty.

  As part of the interdisciplinary long-term project ‘Puberty X Culture’, led by Associate Professor Prof. Dr Karina Weichold and supported by visiting researcher Dr Sheriffa Mahama (Ghana), the project is analysing qualitative and quantitative data from Germany and Ghana to identify gender-specific differences in the experience of puberty. In particular, alongside the analysis of open-ended questionnaire responses, focus groups with girls are being conducted and analysed to examine key themes and needs in the context of social interactions in greater depth.

  The aim is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the developmental mechanisms leading to maladjustment or good health among adolescent girls and to derive evidence-based, gender-sensitive prevention and intervention approaches from this. In this way, the project can make an important contribution to preventing harassment and disorders and to promoting the psychosocial health of girls during puberty, thereby further developing nuanced, gender-sensitive youth research.

• Sex work in Protestant ethical discourse (Sarah Jäger) - 2025/26

  Title

  Mapping the Protestant-ethical discourse on sex work – Historical-hermeneutic and empirical analyses

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Theology, junior professorship in Systematic Theology/Ethics

  Abstract

  This interdisciplinary research project examines the discourses within Protestant Ethics on the subject of sex work and aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of how the issue has been addressed historically and in the present day in both ecclesiastical and theological contexts.

  Key research questions focus on the discussion and normalisation of sex work in Protestant Ethics. How are processes of normalisation concerning sex|gender, sexuality and Ethics handled within these discourses? The project aims to explore and map the ambivalent and often contradictory narratives of Protestant sexual, family and gender ethics in order to reveal the underlying discursive structures.

  The findings are intended to provide a basis for future theological and ethical discourses on normalisation, with the aim of counteracting existing patterns of marginalisation and stereotyping. The project’s objective is to research and map the discourses on sex work within Protestant Ethics, as well as to develop approaches to ethical normalisation that take into account the experiences of those affected.

  Funding from ‘Gender in Focus’ was applied for to support the project’s development, in particular the review of English-language literature by a student assistant.

• The Political Sphere of Influence of Princesses from 1150 to 1500 (Malena Ratzke) - 2025/26

  Title

  Lateral Leadership in the Liminal Space. Spheres of Political Action for Princesses in German-Language Literature and Chronicles (1150–1500)

  Affiliation

  Institute of German Literature, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

  Abstract

  The aim of this project is to offer a new perspective on a little-studied type of political action in German-language literature prior to 1500.

  The project is based on the observation that female literary characters exercise far greater licence than women were usually granted according to contemporary norms. German-language literature and historiography certainly feature influential, strategically acting female characters: they are often linked to those in power as mothers, wives or advisers, but they do not possess formal authority and therefore operate in a social and political liminal space. To describe this form of strategic action, the sociological concept of ‘lateral leadership’ – which captures leadership in situations without formally defined authority to issue instructions – can be applied to a historical context.

  On the one hand, the project examines how the texts shape the scope for action available to lateral leaders. On the other hand, it investigates which notions of social or political regulations (taking * into account gender, rank and other dimensions of identity) become apparent. As a mixed-gender audience is to be expected, the third aspect examines which interpretations emerge in the intermedia transmission of the texts as well as in accounts of their reception.

  The fund is providing support for an open-access grant, a workshop and a student assistant for the preparation of an application for third-party funding (report on the workshop available at https://www.uni-jena.de/393162/frauenfiguren-als-laterale-fuehrungspersonen de de).

• Tools and Practices of Queer Historiography (Lisa-Marie Oelmayer) - 2025/26

  Title

  Tools and Practices of Queer Historiography in the Regional Context

  Affiliation

  Chair of Gender History, Institute of History, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

  Abstract

  The aim of the workshop is to explore approaches to historical research that go beyond heteronormative paradigms. In recent years, Queer Theory has provided important impetus for revising established assumptions regarding the value of sources and historiographical representation. Queer history is no longer understood merely as a supplement to existing narratives, but as an epistemological project that systematically challenges the fundamental assumptions of historical research. The workshop aims not only to discuss this new perspective theoretically, but also to examine its practical applicability in terms of methodology and research practice within regional historical (source-based) work.
  The relevance of such reflection stems not least from current debates in research and memory politics: queer history(ies) are gaining ground, albeit often within narrowly defined frameworks of memory culture or identity politics. By contrast, the workshop aims to understand queer historiography not merely as an additive practice, but as a critical intervention in existing historical systems of order, particularly in fields such as regional history, which have so far only been subject to sporadic reflection through the lens of queer theory.

  Learn more de de

• When Women Inherit: Gender, Inheritance and Couple Dynamics (Robin K. Saalfeld) - 2025/26

  Title

  When Women Inherit: Sex, Inheritance and Couple Dynamics

  Affiliation

  Institute of Sociology, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena; SFB/TRR 294 "Structural Change in Property Ownership", sub-project B06 "Property Inequalities in the Private Sphere".

  Abstract

  This project investigates how heterosexual couples deal with property asymmetries when the woman has more inherited or gifted assets than her male partner. The key questions are: (1) What communicative, normative and practical everyday strategies emerge within the couple when patrimonial expectations – such as the cultural script of the male heir – are disrupted? (2) What consequences do these negotiations have for property claims, autonomy, equality and the attribution of responsibility within the couple’s household? The empirical basis consists of 48 guided couple interviews from the SFB/TRR 294 (TP B06), from which those cases involving property transfers in favour of the woman will be analysed in depth. Methodologically, the project adopts a qualitative-reconstructive approach (documentary method; supplemented by Grounded Theory). Analytically, ‘doing gender’, ‘doing couple’ and ‘doing property’ are linked to the concept of patrimonial regulations. The aim is to reveal gendered interpretations, normalisation practices and latent regulatory mechanisms that structure the way property inequalities are managed within partnerships, thereby highlighting property as a relational, social practice in couple relationships.

• Queer Lifestyles in Thuringia (Victoria Hegner et al.) - 2025/26

  Title

  Beyond the big cities, yet right at the heart of it all: Queer lifestyles in Thuringia

  Affiliation

  Victoria Hegner/Anja Laukötter/Anne Schmidt: Seminar for Cultural Anthropology and Cultural History, Faculty of Arts and Humanities

  Abstract

  This project examines queer lived experiences in Thuringia beyond the usual metropolitan-focused research. Rather than focusing on major cities, it takes an ethnographic and cultural-historical look at Jena, Weimar, Erfurt and the surrounding regions. It explores how queer life is (or was) shaped there, what spaces for community exist, how scenes and networks emerge, and how queer people navigate their everyday lives in contexts where they do not constitute a ‘critical mass’. It is also interested in how visibility is created or avoided, and how individuals develop their identities and conceptual frameworks beyond heteronormativity.

  The project combines contemporary studies with historical research and involves students. It examines the specific history of East Germany, such as the first lesbian magazine in the GDR, which was founded in Jena, and the local working group ‘Homosexuelle Liebe’ (‘Homosexual Love’). Through oral history interviews and archival research – including at the QueerWeg association and in the Stasi Records Archive – the aim is to reveal continuities and breaks.

  The aim is to offer a ‘queer’ interpretation of Jena’s and Thuringia’s History and present, and to highlight the significance of non-metropolitan areas for queer cultures. The results will be a documentary mini-series and an accompanying photo exhibition that brings queer life to the fore and shares academic knowledge with the public.

• Masculinity as Experience (Janet-Lynn Holz/Aaron Korn) - 2026/27

  Title

  Masculinity as Experience – Polarities between Violence, Care, and Vulnerablity

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences,Institute of Sociology, Department of Qualitative Methods and Microsociology

  Abstract

  This interdisciplinary conference focuses on ambivalently negotiated conceptions of masculinity. In recent years, critical masculinity studies have increasingly turned their attention to the care practices of boys, men, and fathers. The aspects of care and vulnerability identified in this research are seen as promising expressions of a reorganisation of care work towards a more gender-equitable society. However, debates surrounding masculinity are also becoming increasingly polarised. On social media and in the so-called 'manosphere', notions of ‘remasculinisation’ are gaining traction alongside misogynistic and violent ideologies. In the political arena, the remilitarisation of Western societies is leading to the promotion of new ideals of violent and combative masculinity, being mobilised particularly by right-wing groups.

  These polarising experiences surrounding masculinity pose an increasing challenge to gender studies. The conference therefore aims to bring together different academic disciplines, innovative formats, artistic representations, and perspectives from social and political practice. A comprehensive, solidarity-based, interdisciplinary network of critical masculinity research is needed to explain these complex phenomena.

  Contact:

  maennlichkeiten@uni-jena.de

• How to deal with Sexism in Classical Works of Philosophy? (Karolin-Sophie Stüber/Hannah Peaceman) - 2026/27

  Title

  How to deal with Sexism in Classical Works of Philosophy?

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Arts and Humanity, Institute of Philosophy, Chair of Practical Philosophy

  Abstract

  How should we address sexist passages in classical works of philosophy today in research, teaching, and public discourse? What knowledge do we need to engage in a critical examination of these works? What formats have already proven helpful in encouraging productive discussion? These questions form the focus of a thematic track at the final conference (June 10–12, 2027, in Jena) of our DFG project. Together with invited experts and anyone interested in the topic, we would like to exchange views on the challenges in academic and non-academic discourse, teaching, and public outreach, and to bring together current research perspectives on the debate.

  Funding from “Gender in Focus” enables us to organize a workshop on sexism, gender, and philosophy as part of the conference and to bring together researchers, educators, and initiatives in this field for dialogue. The goal is to strengthen scholarly exchange and networking, as well as to provide impetus for a reflective and critical engagement with sexism in philosophical classics.

  Contact:

  karolin-sophie.stueber@uni-jena.de, hannah.peaceman@uni-jena.de

  https://wieumgehenmitrsa.uni-jena.deExternal link

• Men in feminism: victims or allies? (Maria Eberlei) - 2026/27

  Title

  Men in feminism: victims or allies?

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Ethics in the Sciences and Humanities/Ethics Centre

  Abstract

  In recent years, prominent influencers from the so-called ‘Manosphere’ have propagated the view that the women’s movement is not interested in men’s problems, that it has instigated and fuelled misandry, or that we live in a feminised society which systematically oppresses men. Although these claims are not new, many are surprised and even concerned that millions of others seem to follow these men and agree with their views. But is this really the case?

  The aim of this research project is to engage with the discourse surrounding the men’s rights movement and to re-examine it in light of current debates on masculinity and feminism. The project aims, first and foremost, to facilitate a discussion on how men perceive themselves and their role in feminist debates; whether they engage with terms such as the ‘Manosphere’, the ‘Red Pill community’, feminism, equality and gender justice; what they associate with these terms; and what they understand by them. This part of the project will use interviews guided by key questions to identify potential key issues and motivations. How do men understand their role in feminism today? What goals can they identify within feminist movements? How do they perceive themselves, and how do they think this self-perception differs from the external perception of men in public debates on feminism and masculinity? Do men see themselves as victims or allies of feminism?

   

  Contact:

  Maria Eberlei, M.A.

  Lehrstuhl Angewandte Ethik/ Bereich Ethik in den Wissenschaften

  maria.eberlei@uni-jena.de

  Telefon: +49 3641 9-45810

• New Perspectives on the German Academic Diaspora in Türkiye 1933-1955 (Seyma Aksoy) - 2026/27

  Title

  New Perspectives on the German Academic Diaspora in Türkiye (1933-1955)

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Theology, Chair of Religious Education, Research Center for Religion and Education

  Abstract

  This project examines the role of gender within the German academic diaspora during the 1933 Turkish university reform, when the Ottoman Darülfünun (Ottoman-era institution of higher education, 1900–1933 – "House of the Sciences") was dissolved and replaced by Istanbul University. Among the academics who fled Nazi persecution and emigrated to Türkiye were Jewish and non-Jewish women, who played a key role in reshaping the institutional and curricular structure of the Turkish higher education system. While previous research has largely focused on male and institutional perspectives, this project foregrounds the gender dimension of academic migration, examining its impact on institutional positions, visibility, and networks.

  A central, original approach of the project is its biography-based social network analysis, which reveals the positions women scholars held within the wider networks of the academic diaspora — an aspect that has rarely been systematically addressed in previous research. The project further draws on both German and Turkish archival sources, enabling a transnational perspective on the biographies and spheres of activity of the women academics involved.

  Methodologically, the project combines biographical research, social network analysis, and qualitative content analysis. A student research assistant supports the project with data expansion and gender-sensitive coding.

  Contact:

  seyma.aksoy@uni-jena.de

• The influence of intersectional experiences of inequality on the shaping of queer care (Helena Scherf) - 2026/27

  Title

  The influence of intersectional experiences of inequality on the shaping of queer care – perspectives from Protestant care ethics

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Theology, junior professorship in Systematic Theology/Ethics

  Abstract

  This research project examines how people who identify as queer practice care — and what influence intersectional experiences of inequality (e.g. along the social categories of race, class and gender) have on this shaping. The project is focussing on how care is experienced and practiced beyond heteronormative structures.

  To date care practices of queer people have received few attention in research and public discourse. Through a qualitative study based on individual and group interviews, this project aims to bring these practices into an empirical focus. Among other things, it explores how support is experienced and shared in everyday life, how self-care is practiced, which relationships are perceived as sustainable, and what role places, friendships and community play.

  The project aims to provide a space for marginalized voices, to make queer care practices visible, and to provide impulse for a protestant ethics of care. It seeks to open up a perspective for ethical reflection on care that takes into account the diversity of queer experiences.

  Funding from “Gender in Focus” enables methodological guidance from an expert in qualitative social research as well as the conduct of in-person interviews at various locations. These conditions are crucial for ensuring the scientific quality of the data collection.

  Contact:

  helena.scherf@uni-jena.de

  https://www.theologie.uni-jena.de/20944/helena-scherf

• Wealth within Couple Households (Silke Übelmesser) - 2026/27

  Title

  Wealth within Couple Households: Gender Differences, Perceptions, and Preferences for Redistribution

  Affiliation

  Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Chair of Public Economics

  Abstract

  Wealth is unequally distributed in Germany—not only across households but also within them. However, little is known about the distribution of wealth within couple households.

  The project examines the gender wealth gap—that is, the difference in wealth between women and men—within couple households. It focuses on respondents’ own wealth and their partner’s wealth, as well as on how accurately individuals assess their respective wealth positions.

  To this end, a quota-based representative online survey of individuals living in couple households will be conducted. Participants will be asked to assess their own wealth position within the household and the gender wealth gap in Germany among couple households. A randomized information experiment will then examine whether information about the actual distribution of wealth in the household and the gender wealth gap in Germany within couple households affects perceptions of economic inequality and preferences for redistribution and gender-specific policy measures.

  The project also explores factors that may contribute to wealth differences, including differences in employment histories, the distribution of care responsibilities, and financial literacy. It further examines whether the results vary across population groups, for example between households in eastern and western Germany.

  The project combines perspectives from distributional economics, political economy, and gender research. It reveals wealth differences that often remain hidden in household-level data and contributes to a better understanding of the long-term financial security of women and men.

  Contact:

  Prof. Dr. Silke Übelmesser

  silke.uebelmesser@uni-jena.de

  Laurien Bordan

  Laurien.bordan@uni-jena.de

  https://www.wiwi.uni-jena.de/en/12111/team