Head:

Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h. c. Gerd Meyer
tel. 07121-346007 (from abroad: 0049-7121)
fax 07121-330380 (from abroad: 0049-7121)
E-mail: gerd.meyerspam prevention@uni-tuebingen.de
Internet: www.uni-tuebingen.de/pol/meyer.htm

Research and teaching focus on three main areas: The Comparative analysis of post-communist systems in Central and Eastern Europe (formerly also the socialist systems), political culture studies and political psychology. We also offer courses on empirical research methods for political scientists.

We offer a broad spectrum of lectures, seminars and inter-disciplinary workshops dealing with the above mentioned issues. From 1992 to 2002, we have con-ducted special seminars for young social scientists from Central and Eastern Europe. Between 1999 and 2001 we started an international and interdisciplinary Ph.D. program on "Political Culture and Democratization in Post-communist Societies". This program was funded by the Volkswagen-Foundation. (cf. ch. VI).

In Baden-Württemberg (the state or "Land" where Tuebingen is situated), Central and Eastern European Studies are only offered by two other universities. The other two study and research areas which we focus on in Tübingen, political culture and political psychology, are also only rarely offered at other German universities.

In more detail we concentrate on the following main areas in research and teaching.

1. Comparative Analysis of Political Systems in Central and Eastern Europe
   Emphasis is on: "quality of democracy", i.e. mainly democratization and system of rule, political culture, political participation, democratic legitimacy; elections and vot-ing behavior, party systems; formal institutions and informal mechanisms of political opinion formation and decision-making.
   Countries: Poland, Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia.
2. The Political Culture of Germany
   Mainly social (civil) courage in everyday life, elections and voting behavior, political participation, civic involvement; and the political culture of Eastern Germany/ the GDR in East-West comparative analysis.
3. Political Psychology
   Here emphasis is on: authoritarianism, Erich Fromm's social and political psychology as well his critical theory of capitalism; personality and politics; social (civil) courage in everyday life, in democracies as well as in authoritarian systems; society, person-ality structures and the chances of leading a successful satisfying life in postmodern society.
4. Comparative Research on Socialism (until 1991)
   The main emphasis was on: the socialist systems in Central and Eastern Europe; theories and models for interpretation, the governmental systems and structural characteristics of bureaucratic socialism as a system of rule, political elites, legitimacy problems, paternalism and patriarchalism, political culture.
   Countries: GDR, Poland, Soviet Union.