RTG Self opened with kick-off event › view all

15.09.2021

BIGSSS research training group "Social Dynamics of the Self" starts with Opening Ceremony and keynote lecture by Roy Baumeister


On September 3, 2021, BIGSSS celebrated the official opening ceremony of the newly established Research Training Group (RTG) "Social Dynamics of the Self" (Self). The kick-off celebration was one of the first official in-person events in a very long time at Jacobs University.

In his welcome address the RTG’s spokesperson Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kühnen introduced the RTG and its first cohort of six PhD researchers to the BIGSSS community. Representing Jacobs University’s leadership, Prof. Dr. Arvid Kappas welcomed the RTG members as well and stressed the importance of interdisciplinarity in the social sciences. The ceremony was topped off with a keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Roy F. Baumeister (Florida State University, USA) on “Political Bias and Partisan Hostility: A Cultural Animal Theory about Modern Ideological Conflict”. Professor Baumeister has been involved in the development of the RTG early on and is now associated with it as Mercator Fellow. This fellowship will enable him to visit and stay at the RTG several times in the years to come.  

The RTG Self is a joint venture of University of Bremen and Jacobs University that offers doctoral training for a total of 14 dissertation researchers in the disciplines of psychology, sociology, and political science. The first six doctoral researchers just started their projects in September 2020. A second group is expected to follow in spring 2022. The RTG is funded by the DFG with around three million Euros over a period of four and a half years.

The RTG focuses on investigating the interactions between individuals and their social environment. Whether culture, gender, social class or family – every person is exposed to systematic influences that shape him or her and his or her actions. These in turn have an impact on social relationships and in the long term also lead to social changes. Under this umbrella theme and the supervision of nine principal investigators, the doctoral candidates will pursue research on their own projects:

Carina-Carolyn Hartz’s project topic is ‘‘Collective Identities and Social Cohesion in Uncertain Times’’. Gamze Ipek will focus on “The Consequences of Goal Congruity – The Mediating Role of Work-Family Conflict’’ in her project. Pay Laurin Jessen will do research on ‘‘Social Morality, Self-Construals and Varying Situations of Social Interaction’’. Tanya Keni’s research project is on ‘‘Does a cultural shift from honour to dignity have an impact on conceptualization of self-worth and its relation to values, goals and well-being? A comparative study of Indians, Germans and Indians shifted to Germany’’. Dariya Krasimirova Koleva is interested in the question ‘‘To what extent are historical analogies instrumental in shaping collective political identities?’’. Debing Lian will research ‘‘The Impact of National and Supranational Identity on Social Solidarity in Europe’’.

We look forward to seeing these research projects develop over the next years and whish all RTG members the best of success!