College UA Ruhr: Features

FEATURES

The FEATURES section is a digital space for miscellaneous editorial content illuminating the College’s research activities. It accommodates academic articles, essays, reviews, and blog posts, as well as interviews and portraits. The purpose of this format is to provide insights into research at the College, display different perspectives within the social sciences and humanities on current debates, and reflect the variety of research fields. The section also spotlights individual researchers with their projects. The authors and contributors are regularly College members and Senior Fellows.

Latest Posts

#event-review

Therapeutic Encounters: Social and Ethical Implications of AI Chatbots in Mental Healthcare

The symposium ‘Therapeutic Encounters with Chatbots’, which took place at the College for Social Sciences and Humanities on 1st July 2025, brought together international researchers and practitioners from different disciplines. They discussed the current state of chatbot technology in mental healthcare, implications of its use, as well as future imaginaries. In this review, the organisers Benjamin…

World Champions of Forgetting. Remorseless American Exceptionalism

"Memory culture has metamorphosed into a forgetting culture, made in the USA." In this essay, William Donahue proposes a covert connection between the long-standing American suppression of civilian and non-combatant ‘collateral damage’ in military campaigns of the past, on the one hand, and the current willingness to countenance massive civilian deaths in contemporary conflicts, on the other. This…

Imran Sabir sitting on a public bench in the city centre of Essen, looking at the camera, holding a newspaper in his hands. In the background there are buildings and trees.

The Sociology of Public Sitting: What Essen’s Benches Reveal About Intergenerational Relationships

"If you want to understand society, don’t read theory. Watch people striving for a shady spot at 3 pm on a bright sunny day." – Sociologist Imran Sabir observes seemingly mundane activities around public benches in Essen, revealing the social fabric and dynamics behind them in this humorous blog post.

photo of Florian Fastenrath standing in the conference hall of the College

The Political Economy of Inequality

Socio-economic inequality is increasing in Germany. Nonetheless, redistribution is not a priority on the political agenda. Florian Fastenrath investigates how inequality is publicly perceived and addressed in politics. His research group ‘Political Economy of Inequality’ analyses what factors obstruct or enable progressive policies.

collage of photos: facade of a large housing block; a list of homeless activists' demands; a small model house followed by the letters L E S S on Scrabble tokens

Homelessness Activism – Contesting Private Property from Below

In order to investigate the attitudes and demands of homeless activist groups, researchers of the PostdocLab working group 'Urban Conflicts and Property' conducted a workshop with homeless activists from different German cities. Among other aspects, the activists criticise the capitalist logic of the housing market and see homelessness as a structural problem.

Matthias Kranke leaning against a bannister infront of a large wooden door

The Political Dimension of Sustainability on a Global Scale

The ecological crisis is a global phenomenon, its effects do not stop at national borders. Matthias Kranke examines global sustainability issues from a political perspective. In this interview, we learn more about the focus of his research group ‘Global Sustainability Governance’ and what motivates him.

Elena Beregow standing in the foyer of the building where the College is located, entrance door in the background

Exploring the Relationship between Temperature and Society in the Age of Global Warming

People sweat – but who sweats under what circumstances is primarily a question of social conditions. Sociologist Elena Beregow investigates the relationship between temperature and society, particularly in the context of the climate crisis. As newly appointed junior professor, she will establish the research group ‘Sweat – Sociology of Transpiration in the Age of Global Warming’.