Life-Course and Lifespan Dynamics

Field Chairs: Johannes Huinink and Ursula M. Staudinger
Field Coordinator: Matthias Wingens

To understand changing patterns of societal integration, we have to analyze the complex interplay of structure and agency across time. This study of macro-micro interrelations requires dynamic individual-level analyses, embedded in multi-level models of social processes. Advanced sociological life-course and psychological lifespan research are powerful approaches to achieve this goal.

This thematic field pursues three main research questions:

  1. How do changing societal conditions affect individual life courses and lifespan development?
  2. What are the consequences of changing lives for societal change and integration, and how do they come about?
  3. How can we apply knowledge about the structure of life-course and lifespan dynamics to optimize societal and individual outcomes?

Please find a pdf with more detailed information on thematic field 5.