College UA Ruhr: Publications

#Book
#Scientific Board

Apelt, Maja et. al. (ed.)

Handbuch Organisationssoziologie

Das Handbuch Organisationssoziologie liefert einen breiten und mehrdimensionalen Überblick über die Entwicklung, den Stand und die Zukunft der Organisationssoziologie als wissenschaftliche (Teil-) Disziplin. Dabei geht es sowohl um die systematische Aufnahme relevanter Theoriestränge sowie aktueller Debatten als auch um die Wechselbeziehungen, Überschneidungen und Komplementaritäten zu Nachbardisziplinen, die Gegenstand eines dynamischen Dialogs werden. Das Handbuch vermittelt so einen eigenständigen Zugriff auf die Organisationssoziologie und bündelt gleichzeitig dessen Wissen auf dem neuesten Stand. Damit liegt ein umfassendes Standardwerk zu Stand und Perspektiven der Organisationssoziologie im deutschsprachigen Raum vor.

DOI URL

Wiesbaden: Springer Nature | 2026

#In book
#Scientific Board

Balke, Friedrich

"Unabsehbar lange febril". Deadlines und ihr Hinausschieben im Zauberberg

URL

In: Reiling, Laura M. / Barth, Niklas / Hottner, Wolfgang (ed.): Das war’s. – Praktiken und Ästhetiken des Aufhörens | Bielefeld: transcript | 2026 | pp. 127–146

#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
#RG Beregow

Beregow, Elena

Besprechung „Die Entstehung einer ökologischen Klasse“ von Bruno Latour und Nikolaj Schultz

URL

In: Das Argument 343 | 2026 | pp. 596–598

#In book
#RG Beregow

Beregow, Elena

Britney Spears

DOI URL

In: Prokic, Tanja / Gradinari, Irina (ed.): Reading the Stars. Beiträge zu einer digitalen Astrologie | Weilerswirst: Velbrück | 2026 | pp. 238–245

#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

#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

#Misc.
#Senior Fellows

Chigudu, Daniel / Brandt, Martina

Policy Brief. Governing for Healthy Ageing: Intergenerational Social Protection in Sub-Saharan Africa

DOI URL

College for Social Sciences and Humanities | UA Ruhr, Essen 2026

#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.

PDF DOI URL

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

#In book
#RG Fastenrath

Fastenrath, Florian

Financialization

DOI URL

In: Stockemer, Daniel; Sawyer, Stephen; Gagnon, Audrey (ed.): IPSA Companion to Political Science | Cham: Springer Nature | 2026 | pp. 1–5

#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

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

#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?

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Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung | Newspaper article | 19 Apr. 2026

#Article
#RG Kranke
#peer-reviewed

Janischewski, Anja et al.

Defining growth dependence

Many socio-economic systems require positive economic growth rates to function properly. These growth dependencies pose serious challenges given uncertainty about future growth rates and the role of economic growth as a driver of environmental crises. Thus, identifying and transforming socio-economic systems that currently rely on growth for their adequate functioning is a crucial step towards effective sustainability transformations. To facilitate conceptual clarity, we propose a general definition and framework for operationalizing the concept of “growth dependence” through four elements: (1) the system under investigation, (2) the unit of growth measurement, (3) the meaning of “growth”, and (4) the functions or properties of the system relevant for human well-being. We illustrate the impact of varieties in definitions on assessment outcomes by applying the framework to areas widely seen as growth-dependent: labor markets, social insurance and public finance. Our framework helps researchers to develop a more coherent understanding of growth dependence, a prerequisite for assessing policy options towards growth independence.

DOI URL

In: Sustanability Science 21 | 2026 | pp. 1311–1327

#In book
#RP Nadim

Kaiser, Katja et al.

Digitalisierung von kolonialen naturkundlichen Objekten

URL

In: Kaiser, Katja / Heumann, Ina (ed.): Umgang mit kolonialen Objekten der Naturkunde: Empfehlungen, Forschung, Reflexionen | Dresden: Sandstein Kultur | 2026 | pp. 64–81

#Book
#RP Nadim

Klein, Anja

Earthly Models: Ethnographic Encounters in Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research

Models of floods, disease, lakes, and fish don’t arrive ready-made – they’re patched together from code, data, software, theory, habits, and disagreement. Anja Klein follows that patchwork in action through fieldwork with two interdisciplinary research groups: a project in Accra tracking diarrhea and flood risk under climate change, and a Stockholm-based group building simulation models of social-ecological systems. How do materiality, difference, and complexity get handled in the daily work of modeling? What gets to be included and what is left out and why? Moving between ethnography and equations, the study traces moments of frictions and surprise that shape what a model can or cannot say about the world. In a grounded account of ›earthly modeling‹, the volume shows the potential of working across ethnography and simulation for knowing better our planet in crisis.

URL

Bielefeld: transcript | 2026

#In book
#RG Kranke

Kranke, Matthias

International Organizations

DOI URL

In: Stockemer, Daniel; Sawyer, Stephen W.; Gagnon, Audrey (ed.): IPSA Companion to Political Science | Cham: Springer Nature | 2026 | pp. 1–4

#Article
#RG Kranke

Kranke, Matthias

Nordic world class? Region branding and self-benchmarking

The Nordic Council of Ministers officially strives for a “green”, “competitive” and “socially sustainable” region under what it calls “Our Vision 2030”. To render the aggregate performance of its member states measurable, the Council deploys a total of forty-five indicators for “traffic-light visualizations” of achievements and trends benchmarked against other countries. Connecting scholarship on global benchmarking and place branding, this article examines the production of an idealized world-class region through self-benchmarking, which contrasts with the more common phenomenon of individual states’ performance being assessed by others. I interrogate the assumptions behind the Council’s aspirations by analyzing selected official documents. In line with the special issue theme, the study shows how self-benchmarking transcends the roles of the governors/benchmarkers and governed/benchmarked. Specifically, “Our Vision 2030” subscribes to a mainstream inclusive green growth position, which does little to distinguish the Nordic “brand” from those of other regions but instead rehearses a well-known narrative with a regional twist. The Council’s self-benchmarking apparatus thus risks ignoring evidence of negative ecological impacts and inequitable social outcomes of growth-friendly policies, as well as of the insufficient scope and pace of absolute decoupling of growth from ecological parameters to date.

DOI URL

In: Policy Studies | 2026 | pp. 1–21

#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 20(2-3) | 2026 | pp. 367–387

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