College UA Ruhr: Publications

#In book
#Scientific Board

Lernen als Dauerveranstaltung? Zum Wandel des Umgangs mit Wissen in Organisationen

Seit geraumer Zeit wird auf der individuellen Ebene unter dem Stichwort des lebenslangen Lernens Lernen zur Dauerveranstaltung. Ebenso lässt sich auf der organisationalen Ebene ein Wandel des Umgangs mit Wissen beobachten. Im Gegensatz zum hegemonialen Diskurs, dass in der Gegenwartsgesellschaft alle immer und fortwährend lernen (bzw. lernen sollen – insbesondere in Organisationen und vor allem in solchen, die extensiv mit Wissen hantieren), zeigt die genauere Betrachtung, dass hier eine differenzierte Betrachtung vorgenommen werden muss. Insbesondere mit dem Aufkommen gesellschaftlicher Wandlungsprozesse aber vor allem auch vor dem Hintergrund der Digitalisierung eröffnen sich nicht nur neue Möglichkeiten, sondern es entstehen auch neue Erfordernisse, in Organisationen mit Wissen anders umzugehen als bisher.

DOI URL

In: Apelt, Maja et al. (ed.): Handbuch Organisationssoziologie | Wiesbaden: Springer Nature | 2026 | pp. 719–734

#Article
#RG Kranke

Cornel, Ban / Kranke, Matthias

Macro-critical but market-centric: the IMF’s half-turn on climate

This article examines the evolving climate policy stance of the International Monetary Fund (hereafter the IMF or the Fund), highlighting an evolution towards greater acceptance of climate policy, as well as tensions between its expanded green rhetoric and the practical constraints of its fiscal mandate. Using document analysis and, for contextualisation, a handful of semi-structured interviews with IMF officials, we argue that, in the post-pandemic period, the Fund has expanded the ambitious climate rhetoric it had adopted shortly before the pandemic. However, we also provide evidence from different types of IMF loan arrangements to show that the translation of these commitments into substantive policy advice into lending operations has remained uneven at best. The IMF’s increasing emphasis on the macro-criticality of climate change has been implemented more systematically under the new, climate-sensitive Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) than under standard loan facilities. While the IMF’s capacity to marry fiscal stability with climate action in operations varies with the type of loan instrument deployed, our analysis suggests that the Fund has layered climate concerns onto an otherwise largely unchanged neoliberal toolbox. As a result, its ‘climate turn’ has been no more than a half-turn, grounded in an embrace of green neoliberalism.

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In: Third World Quarterly | 2026 | pp. 1–18

#Article
#Senior Fellows

Malambo, Nomthandazo / Brown, Stephen

Navigating Ambiguity: Reproductive Justice and the Restriction of Abortion Rights, LGBTI+ Rights, and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Zambia

In Zambia, religious nationalists exploit legal and policy ambiguities to construct abortion and LGBTI+ rights as un-Zambian and un-Christian. This delegitimization narrows the scope of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) to family planning. Drawing on forty-five in-depth interviews with Zambian stakeholders and international aid officials, we argue that while these ambiguities constrain reproductive justice, they also allow activists to advance SRHR by building coalitions that connect advocacy for abortion rights, LGBTI+ rights, and reproductive justice to promote health service access and bodily autonomy for all. In Zambia and elsewhere, such activism and coalition building merit greater attention and support.

DOI URL

In: African Studies Review 69 | 2026 | pp. 48–70

#Article
#Senior Fellows

Feierstein, Daniel

Neofascism and the Erosion of Normativity Subjectivation and Political Identity in the 21st Century

This article proposes a theoretical framework for analysing the contemporary emergence of neofascist forms of political identification. While much of the literature on democratic erosion has emphasised concepts like populism, institutional decline, or leadership dynamics, the sociological processes that render subjects receptive to neofascist identification remain insufficiently theorised. The article argues that these processes are linked to a broader erosion of normative universality that historically structured modern democratic coexistence. Through a conceptual reconstruction grounded in social theory, it identifies a series of mechanisms through which the weakening of shared normative frameworks enables the consolidation of exclusionary political identities. By shifting the focus from institutional transformations to processes of subjectivation, the article seeks to contribute to a sociological understanding of the conditions under which neofascist mobilisation becomes politically viable in the 21st century.

DOI URL

In: European Journal of Social Theory | 2026 | pp. 1–17

#In book
#Senior Fellows

Sugiera, Małgorzata

On Rag-picking as Creative Intervention in Knowledge Production

URL

In: Sajewska, Dorota; Sugiera, Małgorzata (ed.): Performing Waste. To Re-member Pasts and Fabulate Futures | New York: Routledge | 2026

#In book
#Senior Fellows

Sibanda, Princess / Matebeni, Zethu

On Transformations of Violence towards LGBTQ+ People in Zimbabwe: Coming into Our Own

URL

In: Bonacker, Thorsten et al. (ed.): Routledge Handbook on Transformations of Political Violence | London, New York: Routledge | 2026 | pp. 114–127

#Book
#Senior Fellows

Sajewska, Dorota; Sugiera, Małgorzata (ed.)

Performing Waste. To Re-member Pasts and Fabulate Futures

Performing Waste offers groundbreaking insights into the vibrant interdisciplinary field of waste studies through the lens of performance and artistic practice. This pioneering collection examines how waste and wasting are performed across diverse media and genres, from Afrofuturist musical works to contemporary scrap art installations. Distinguished international scholars present original research using situated methodologies, including ethnographic approaches, to analyse compelling case studies that span global contexts. The volume explores eco-trauma and toxic kinship in artistic works, investigates the relationship between extractivism and knowledge production, and examines critical sites like the Polish-Belorussian border and e-waste processing in Ghana and Peru. By reframing familiar environmental narratives and introducing novel perspectives on waste agency, materiality, and performance, the collection challenges conventional understandings of our discarded materials and practices. Each contribution illuminates how waste performance can help us reimagine ecological relationships and envision alternative futures beyond extractivist paradigms. This volume is an essential reading for students and scholars in environmental humanities, posthumanist theory, decolonial studies, eco-arts, media studies, and performance studies, as well as anyone concerned with creative responses to our global waste crisis.

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New York: Routledge | 2026

#In book
#RG Kranke

Ban, Cornel et al.

Planning for Post-Growth

URL

In: Amat, Oriol / Eguiguren, Marcos (ed.): Embracing Post-Growth: Sustainable Paths Beyond Conventional Economic Approaches | Barcelona: UPF-Barcelona School of Management | 2026 | pp. 155–180

#Article
#Senior Fellows

Samanta, Tannistha

Postmenopausal motherhood: IVF visuality as spectacle

In this debate piece, we examine representations of postmenopausal motherhood in print media and online content of private clinics in India to show how the visual vocabulary of assisted reproductive technology (ART) reifies patriarchal logics of motherhood through a dance of science and spectacle. In particular, we draw on Franklin’s (2013a) notion of ‘embryo watching’ and Thompson’s (2005) ‘ontological choreography’ to argue how biomedical imaging technologies curate embodied encounters of ART and local-moral worlds where gerontological reproductive futures can be imaged and imagined. Crucially, we illuminate the ambivalent biopolitics of this (media) framing, where older women’s bodies are simultaneously expressed through the promissory language of fertility and an erasure of sexuality. Ultimately, keeping in mind the current decade (2021–2030) as one focused on determinants of healthy ageing, this article sheds light on the policy blind spot of a persistent neglect of the sexual and reproductive health of older women in India.

URL

In: Journal of Global Ageing 3(2) | 2026 | pp. 303–315

#In book
#RP Nadim

Nadim, Tahani / Sarreiter, Regina

Rassismus im Museum

URL

In: Bojadzijev, Manuela et al. (ed.): Rassismusforschung: Handbuch für Wissenschaft, Studium und Praxis | Baden-Baden: Nomos | 2026 | pp. 579–590

#In book
#Senior Fellows

Bu, Qingxiu

The Deployment of Automated Facial Recognition (AFR) and Privacy Implications under SDG 16: Building Effective and Accountable Institutions for Data Governance

URL

In: Ibrahim, Imad Antoine; Truby, Jon; Farah, Paolo Davide (ed.): Artificial Intelligence, Governance and Sustainable Development. Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions | New York: Routledge | 2026 | pp. 262–296

#In book
#Senior Fellows

Matić, Uroš

The elderly in the aftermath of war: old age, precarity, and ancient Egyptian warfare

URL

In: Matić, Uroš / Mihajlović, Vladimir (ed.): Aftermath of War in Ancient Societies | Oxford: Oxbow Books | 2026

#Article
#RG Fastenrath
#peer-reviewed

Fastenrath, Florian / Marx, Paul

The end of the "tax taboo"? Left-wing parties and the politics of taxing the rich in Germany and the UK

This article explores why left-wing parties tend to avoid advocating higher taxes for the rich—and why they sometimes do put them on the agenda. The ‘tax taboo’ is driven by electoral calculations. Public opinion on taxing the rich is ambivalent. Narratives of taxes harming the economy are nurtured by right-wing parties and business lobbies. This discourages the left from mobilizing on the issue. However, recent campaigns by the German Social Democrats (2021) and Labour in Britain (2017) overcame this taboo with distinct pro-tax programs. Our comparative analysis traces common factors and strategic considerations of party actors. It highlights the role of policy entrepreneurs, who act as catalysts through their exceptional motivation and competence. Additionally, our case studies point to party competition as an important factor. Right-wing parties face a trilemma between the goals of balanced budgets, low taxes, and investment, making them less compelling critics of left-wing tax plans.

DOI URL

In: Socio-Economic Review 24(2) | 2026 | pp. 1037–1064

#Article
#Senior Fellows

Wegner, Douglas et al.

The Hybrid Orchestration of an Emerging Social Innovation Digital Ecosystem (SIDE): an Empirical Investigation

Research has revealed the increasing importance of social innovation ecosystems in catalysing initiatives that mitigate society’s grand challenges. However, there are still knowledge gaps in the realm of creating, nurturing, and governing digital versions of such ecosystems, which we term social innovation digital ecosystems (SIDEs). This study delves into the orchestration tasks SIDEs’ orchestrators may have to perform during emergence and development. To achieve this objective, we conducted an exploratory case study of an emerging SIDE in Brazil. The study contributes to the nascent literature on SIDEs by showing that their orchestration differs from that of conventional digital innovation ecosystems. Our findings suggest that emerging SIDEs rely on hybrid orchestration, in which digital infrastructures support mapping, visibility, and connection-building. At the same time, engagement, sense-making, and the design of collaborative initiatives remain strongly dependent on offline, locally embedded interaction.

DOI URL

In: International Journal of Innovation Management 30(05n06) | 2026

#Article
#Postdoclab

Lenk, Timo

Towards a deeper understanding of information manipulation: Proposing a multilevel framework for the analysis of manipulative narratives

Against the backdrop of rising populist movements and autocratic regimes worldwide, policy makers, publics, and academics are increasingly concerned about the negative impacts of mis- and disinformation on democracy. While there is debate about the actual share of fabricated content in online communication environments, such forms of information manipulation appear in many shapes and with varying degrees of deviation from facts. What unifies them is their use of narratives to distort public debate, sow division, and seed doubt in institutions. However, with increasing scholarly attention, the literature on information manipulation is becoming increasingly fragmented, calling for stronger integration. Particularly, different strands of research use either framing or narrative perspectives in their analyses. After reviewing essential forms of information manipulation and systematizing them on different levels of analysis, the paper addresses this fragmentation by proposing and testing a multilevel framework that integrates both framing and narrative perspectives on information manipulation. The framework was tested in an exploratory case study in the context of the 2024 European Parliament elections. Based on the results, the benefits and limitations of the framework are discussed. The overall aim of this paper is to add to the systematic use of terminology in the analysis of information manipulation phenomena.

DOI URL

In: Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 13 | 2026 | pp. 1–12

#In book
#Postdoclab

Nachtigall, Valentina et al.

Uncritical but Overconfident? How Learners Engage with AI-Generated Images of Scientists

DOI URL

In: Blanchard, Emmanuel G. et al. (ed.): Artificial Intelligence in Education. AIED 2026. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 16585 | Cham: Springer Nature | 2026 | pp. 450–458

#Article
#RG Beregow
#peer-reviewed

Beregow, Elena

Wandernde Begriffe. Zur Zirkulation und Reinigung des Milieubegriffs

Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Wandermodi des Milieubegriffs in der Soziologie, indem er vier zentrale Stationen nachzeichnet: (1) die diszipli- näre Reinigung bei Émile Durkheim, der den Milieubegriff durch eine positivis- tische Methodologie soziologisiert, dabei aber seine naturwissenschaftlichen und kosmischen Ursprünge weiterträgt; (2) die alltägliche Verbildlichung bei Heinrich Zille, der das „Milljöh“ durch Zeichnungen und sozialkritische Darstellungen popularisiert und dabei eine Form der Spontansoziologie praktiziert; (3) die stra- tegische Empirisierung zwischen Marktforschung und Sozialstrukturanalyse, in der der Milieubegriff als Kategorie u. a. für die Lebensstilforschung genutzt wird; sowie (4) die affektive Ansteckung bei Gilles Deleuze und Félix Guattari, die das Milieu als dynamisches, vibrierendes Konzept im Rahmen poststrukturalistischer Theorie reartikulieren. Der Beitrag zeigt, dass Reinigung und Zirkulation des Begriffs keine Gegensätze sind, sondern sich gegenseitig bedingen: Während begriffliche Reini- gung der Abgrenzung dient, ermöglicht sie zugleich die bessere Zirkulation und Anwendbarkeit des Milieubegriffs. Durch die Analyse der verschiedenen Wander- modi wird deutlich, dass der Begriff des Milieus zugleich in Denkmilieus eingebettet ist, die seine Wanderbewegungen und Versuche seines Stillstellens regulieren – nicht immer erfolgreich.

DOI URL

In: Soziale Welt Sonderband 27 | 2026 | pp. 125–149

#Article
#RG Kranke

Kranke, Matthias / Simangan, Dahlia

Wanted? The Elusiveness of (Post-)Growth in Anthropocene Research

There is now wide agreement that the Earth has entered a new geological epoch as a result of human activities, which is often encapsulated in the concept of the “Anthropocene.” Meanwhile, there remains considerable debate about the impact of economic growth on planetary ecosystems. In this article, we bring these two aspects together by exploring patterns and biases of knowledge production on the Anthropocene in International Relations (IR) as a discipline with a mandate to study “the global.” We grasp general publishing patterns through a bibliometric analysis of journal articles in IR during the 2000–25 period, which reveals that the increasing focus on the Anthropocene still leaves (post-)growth questions largely sidelined. A closer reading of the ten most-cited articles in the sample further indicates that growth is at best an afterthought in much IR scholarship on the Anthropocene. Only when considering additional contributions, including from the cognate field of International Political Economy (IPE), with an explicit interest in (post-)growth, do links between the Anthropocene and the pursuit of growth emerge. The ideational and material dynamics involved in this pursuit thus remain strangely absent from mainstream IR debate about the causes and consequences of the Anthropocene.

DOI URL

In: New Global Studies | 2026 | pp. 1–21

#Article
#RP Nadim

Garzon-Lopez, Carol X. et al.

Weaving for action: Transformative change in biodiversity monitoring

DOI URL

In: People and Nature 8 (5) | 2026 | pp. 1007–1020

#publication in media
#Scientific Board

Griem, Julika

Wo trifft man Faschisten? Doch nicht etwa im Theater?

URL

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | Newspaper article | 19 Apr. 2026

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