Research Program

The research unit “Political and Cultural Education” is dedicated to researching educational science questions in the context of far right extremism.
In addition to the conditions for the emergence of far right extremism the focus is on possibilities for prevention and the safeguarding of democratic everyday culture. Our research thus focuses on individual processes of learning and unlearning, on questions of pedagogical practice, and also sociopolitical conditions.

Our research is structured around the following key areas:

1. Political and cultural education and pedagogical interventions
2. Strengthening democratic culture and the professionalization of support systems and practitioners
3. Processes of affiliation with far-right lifeworlds and ideologies

We work with interdisciplinary approaches with a strong emphasis on qualitative social research methods, particularly reconstructive methodologies. Our research aims at (foundational) theoretical developments, methodological reflection, and ethically grounded research approaches.