Methods of Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis

Welcome to the website of the Department for Methods of Empirical Social Research and Social Structure Analysis.

Our department is responsible for providing training in quantitative methods to undergraduate and postgraduate students. We are also responsible for teaching in the field of social structure analysis (see Teaching). The department’s research focuses on three distinct thematic areas, all of which share a common perspective rooted in (quantitative) life course research: (tertiary) education, labour market returns, and social inequality, e.g. by social background, gender or ethnicity. Our central aim is to understand the significance of national institutions and individual decision-making processes in shaping unequal educational and employment trajectories. In investigating this question, we are interested in both the institutional conditions in Germany and international comparisons. In the field of methodological research, the focus is on topics relating to statistical modelling, e.g. of interaction effects and missing data (see Research).

On the following pages, you will find an overview of our teaching and research activities, as well as information on all members of staff in the department (see People).