Change of Contemporary Societies

The societies of the 21st century are exposed to various phenomena of change. The social sciences worldwide are occupied with describing and analysing these phenomena and developing recommendations for managing the consequences of change. At the same time, there is evidence that the new patterns and structures are more dynamic and complex, and present greater challenges. In a globalised world, they too are global, and only become apparent within a broader perspective that looks beyond the immediate and local to more remote regions of the world.

The Main Research Area of Change of Contemporary Societies brings together the collective expertise of social scientists at the University of Duisburg-Essen in order to gain insights into these rapid processes of change. The interdisciplinary research area combines the specialist knowledge of researchers from sociology, the economic and political sciences, geography and other disciplines. These differing perspectives create a knowledge network with a global profile which is equipped to address such pressing questions as the consequences of change for the integration of societies, for the national and international forms of political leadership and citizens’ demands for legitimation. Wherever the methods for capturing and analysing these phenomena reach their limits, the researchers are also working on their development.