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Why does gender inequality persist even though formal barriers, such as unequal access to education and the labor market, have largely disappeared? This project examines how social expectations and interactional dynamics in private contexts sustain inequality beyond formal institutional constraints. Building on the notion of a “stalled and uneven gender revolution” (England 2010), the “Hidden Barriers” project investigates how persistent gender norms, stereotypes, and interactional dynamics in private life contribute to durable labor market inequalities.

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Labor shortages and skills mismatches pose significant challenges for Germany and other advanced economies, which are further exacerbated by the retirement of the baby boomer generation, the digital transformation and the ecological transformation of the economy. These developments are fundamentally changing labor demand, task structures and skill requirements, leading to a growing mismatch between skills offered and skills needed.

Digital technologies are reshaping how people encounter, select, and understand the news. While online platforms and artificial intelligence can make information more accessible, they can also prioritize sensationalist content, reduce exposure to diverse perspectives, and make it harder to distinguish reliable journalism from misinformation. At the same time, a growing number of people are disengaging from the news altogether.

Das im Rahmen des zurückliegenden Forschungsvorhabens “Das Policy Lab: eine neue Form eines praxistauglichen Experimentierraums zur Stärkung von Verwaltungshandeln für nachhaltige kommunale Zukunftsprojekte“ erarbeitete Konzept des „Policy Lab“ im Sinne eines Experimentierraums für Verwaltungshandeln auf kommunaler Ebene wird nun unter zwei unterschiedlichen Rahmenbedingungen in der Praxis erprobt: bei der Umsetzung des Klimaanpassungsgesetzes (KAnGBln) in der Großstadt Berlin und dem Drei-Höfe-Konzept in der Gemeinde Drolshagen in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Damit entsteht ein praxisnahes Lernfeld, in dem Chancen, Herausforderungen und Wirkungen eines neuen kommunalen Transformationsinstruments untersucht werden.

Ausgangslage und Forschungsfrage

In Deutschland sind die Zuständigkeiten im Schulsystem formal klar geregelt: Kommunale Schulträger verantworten die äußeren Schulangelegenheiten wie Gebäude, Ausstattung und Infrastruktur, während die Länder für Personal und Unterricht zuständig sind.

In der Praxis zeigt sich jedoch zunehmend, dass Schulfördervereine über klassische Unterstützungs- und Spendentätigkeit hinaus Aufgaben übernehmen, die eigentlich in den Verantwortungsbereich kommunaler Schulträger fallen. Dazu gehören etwa die Mitfinanzierung und Organisation von Ganztagsangeboten oder Infrastrukturmaßnahmen.

The project on "The Future of Fiscal Federalism in Germany and Europe" provides a unique opportunity to help address issues such as the optimal design of the financial structure within a federal state (e.g., intergovernmental transfers, fiscal equalization schemes) and its impact on policy experimentation, inter-governmental competition (vertically and horizontally) and government accountability.

Joint project of the Research Unit Cultural Sources of Newness and the Research Group Science Policy Studies

In 2010, Stuttgart witnessed a major protest wave against the construction of an underground railway station. Despite the local character of the conflict about “Stuttgart 21”, there has been nationwide news coverage of the protests and public debates about consequences for civic participation and the democratic culture in Germany. Journalists and other observers speculated about the social and demographic background of the protesters, about their motivations, and their self-perception as citizens. In a survey at one of the regular Monday demonstrations (N=858) these questions were addressed in a systematic and reliable way.