Social Science Works

In order to strengthen democracy, we need a new discussion culture. To this end, we are creating public spaces where citizens can meet regularly to discuss social issues over coffee and cake and get to know each other better. Starting in October 2026, we will organize three series of ten dialogs each in Brandenburg and […] The post New project: Staying in touch – Spaces for dialogue, exchange, an…

The Federal Government Commissioner for Migration, Refugees, and Integration has awarded Social Science Works the project “Digital Language and Administrative Bridge for Refugees in Shelter Facilities.” The goal of the project is to use AI to combat the enormous bureaucratic hurdles faced by refugees arriving in Germany and attempting to integrate. Furthermore, the project aims […] The post New P…

1. Background: Bureaucracy as a Barrier to Integration Germany is one of the most bureaucratically complex countries in the world. Even for native speakers, dealing with government agencies, applications, and jurisdictional issues is a challenge—and even more so for refugees and migrants. Many of them come from countries with less formalized administrative structures, lack sufficient […] The post…

Introduction Populism appears to be sweeping across the world. In a wide variety of countries, it is primarily right-wing populist parties that are winning elections. Once in power, they proceed—with greater or lesser success—to erode existing democratic institutions from within, thereby increasing the likelihood of maintaining their hold on power. The political, social, and economic […] The post…

In recent years, parties such as Vox in Spain and Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in Germany have entered the national political arena, achieving a level of public visibility that goes beyond their initial electoral weight. Alongside similar formations in countries such as Austria, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, both parties are part […] The post Populism, Identity and…

Populism has become one of the major challenges facing contemporary Western democracies, reshaping political competition, public discourse, and citizen engagement (Kriesi et al., 2008; Müller, 2014). Rather than a single ideology, it is best approached as a flexible phenomenon combining ideological content, political strategy, and communicative style. Ideologically, populism constructs politics a…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 Right-wing populism has also become a dominant political factor in the Netherla…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 Marina and Aida will spend three months at Social Science Works and research th…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 Antonia Acosta Schultze is a master’s student in International Security Managem…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 On September 21, SSW was awarded the 2025 Integration Prize of the State Capita…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 For several years now, Social Science Works has been conducting in-depth interv…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 By international standards, Germany is a highly bureaucratized country. Even Ge…

- Democracy Under Pressure: Political Radicalization and Citizen Discontent in East Germany - February 16, 2026 - The Fragility of Dutch Democracy: Populism, Fragmentation, and Voter Volatility - December 18, 2025 - SSW welcomes two new Erasmus-interns: Aida Massó Blasco and Marina Rozalén Miralles - November 21, 2025 Our citizens’ dialogue in Paulinenaue (Brandenburg) on June 22 focused on the q…

Over the past two weeks, SSW has conducted the first three workshops with refugees from Ukraine, Syria, and Afghanistan on volunteer work and discrimination. The project is supported by the Federal Office for Refugees and Migration. Many more workshops will follow. Below are the considerations underlying this project. ~~~ Refugees who come to Germany are […] The post New BAMF project launched by …

Since 2016, Social Science Works has carried out dozens of integration projects with and for refugees for a wide range of clients. In addition, we have conducted extensive quantitative and qualitative research, particularly in Brandenburg, into the backgrounds, living conditions, state of integration, and prospects of refugees who are (still) living in refugee shelters. To […] The post The failin…

At the end of 2024, there were approximately 3.5 million refugees living in Germany, including 1.2 million people from Ukraine. Around 20% of these people, or roughly 700,000 individuals, were housed in so-called Gemeinschaftsunterkünften (shared accommodation facilities). On average, around 200 people live together in these centers, sharing kitchens, toilets, and bathrooms. Although many of […] …

SSW Fellow Ali Ghaznawi shares his experience participating in the two-day seminar “Starting a Business in Brandenburg,” hosted by GRÜNDEN IN PM. The seminar provided practical knowledge on business planning, legal requirements, and funding options for startups in Germany. Designed especially for migrants, it empowered participants through hands-on learning, networking, and confidence-building. T…

A group of students of the School of Social Work of the University of Montana (“To change everything, start anywhere”) in Missoula visited Social Science Works on May 18. Among other things, we discussed populism in Europe and the United States, its manifestations and causes, as well as what we can do about. Deliberations with […] The post University of Montana at Social Science Works appeared fi…

Talking Politics and Society Again: Reengaging with Fellow Citizens is the title of the new book of Hans Blokland. It will be published by Transcript Verlag in Bielefeld and will be available from March 27, 2025. The product flyer of Transcript is here: Talking Politics and Society Again flyer The back cover reads as follows: […] The post New book published: Talking Politics and Society Again: Re…

It has been three years since we interviewed Yaqout, who moved from Syria to Hungary and eventually to Germany (see the previous interview). He encountered various difficulties regarding occupation, housing, and health. How is he doing now? What are his goals? And has his perspective on Germany changed over the past few years? In 2022, […] The post Revisited: Yaqout, Syria appeared first on Socia…