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ORCiD iD

https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5923-8893

Academic career

• since 2018
  Professor of Social Administration and Social Policy at the HTWK Leipzig
• 2016 - 2018
  Professor of Social Policy and Social Work at the Gera Cooperative State University
• 2015 - 2016
  Research project manager at the University of Bamberg and lecturer
• 7/2015
  Habilitation at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at Leipzig University, venia legendi "Sociology"
• 2013 - 2014
  Deputy Professor of Institutions and Social Change at the Institute of Sociology at Leipzig University
• 2011 - 2013
  Research assistant at the Chair of Social Policy at the Institute of Sociology at Leipzig University
• 2009 - 2010
  Research assistant at the Institute for Social Work and Social Policy at the Faculty of Education at the University of Duisburg-Essen
• 2005 - 2009
  Doctorate at the Chair of Social Policy (Prof. Dr Georg Vobruba) at the Institute of Sociology at the University of Leipzig
• 1998 - 2004
  Studied political science and sociology at the University of Leipzig

Teaching areas and research specialisations

• Social policy, social administration and social work
• Social inequality, social structure, inclusion and exclusion
• Welfare state theory and comparison
• Sociology of Europe
• Labour and industrial sociology
• Political sociology
• Sociological theory (knowledge, conflict, autonomy, deviance)

Publications

Monographs

• Social Policy for Social Work. 2nd, updated and expanded edition.
  (Series Studienkurs Soziale Arbeit, Vol. 8), Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2022.
• Collective social policy. Causes, Extent and Consequences of the Collective Bargaining of Social Security.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2021.
• Sozialpolitik für die Soziale Arbeit
  (Series Studienkurs Soziale Arbeit, Volume 8), Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2019.
• Foundations and changes in social security. From national redistribution to post-national redistribution.
  Bielefeld: Transcript, 2019.
• Safeguarding security. Europe's social policy future.
  Weinheim: Beltz Juventa, 2013.
• Flexible retirement. Statutory, collectively agreed and company perspectives.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler and Ute Klammer)
  Berlin: Edition Sigma, 2013.
• Conflicts about the conflict framework. The governance of collective bargaining autonomy.
  Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, 2010.

Editorships

• The welfare state as a "sorting machine" - categories and categorisation processes in social policy.
  (together with Antonio Brettschneider and Stefanie Börner)
  Focus issue 1/2025 of the Journal for Social Reform
• Deformation or transformation? Analyses of Welfare State Change in the 21st Century.
  (together with Sigrid Betzelt)
  Wiesbaden: VS Verlag, 2022
• Socio-political problems in the organisation of age transitions.
  (together with Martin Brussig)
  Focus issue 4/2015 of the Zeitschrift für Sozialreform
• System constraints and actor knowledge. Theorie und Empirie von Autonomiegewinnen.
  (together with Stephan Lessenich and Jenny Preunkert)
  Frankfurt/M.: Campus, 2014
• "Dear colleagues ..."Editorials and conversations from 10 years of SOCIOLOGY,
  (together with Karin Lange and Sylke Nissen)
  Sociology, vol. 42 (2013), special issue, Frankfurt am Main: Campus
• SERIE EUROPA - EUROPE SERIES
  (together with Jenny Preunkert and Georg Vobruba)
  at the Institute of Sociology at Leipzig University (1/2012 - 1/2015)
• Soziologie - Forum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie 
  (together with Georg Vobruba (responsible) and Sylke Nissen)
  (4/2003 to 3/2011)

Essays

• The welfare state as a "sorting machine". Categories and categorisation processes in social policy (Editorial).
  (together with Antonio Brettschneider and Stefanie Börner)
  Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, 71. Jg., Heft 1/2025, S. 1-14.
• Social benefit law between discretion and algorithm. Recent legal developments and the social consequences of automated decision-making.
  neue praxis, 54th vol., issue 1/2024, pp. 3-15.
• Sozialpolitik, Sozialstaat.
  In: Martin Endreß and Benjamin Rampp (eds.): Politische Soziologie. Handbook for science and studies. Baden-Baden, Nomos, 2024, (in prep.).
• Money for all? On the conditionality of the unconditional basic income and its provisional alternatives.
  In: Reinhard Grütz and Annette Schneider-Reinhardt (eds.): Zukunft und Visionen für Gesellschaft und Schöpfung. Halle (Saale): Catholic Academy of the Diocese of Magdeburg, 2023, pp. 57-87.
• Introduction: Deformation or transformation? Analyses of Welfare State Change in the 21st Century.
  (together with Sigrid Betzelt)
  In: Sigrid Betzelt and Thilo Fehmel (eds.): Deformation or Transformation? Analyses of welfare state change in the 21st century. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2022, pp. 1-21.
• Tarifsozialpolitik und Vertariflichung sozialer Sicherung.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  In: Sigrid Betzelt and Thilo Fehmel (eds.): Deformation or Transformation? Analyses of welfare state change in the 21st century. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2022, pp. 149-172.
• New social science literature on the welfare state and social policy.
  Soziologische Revue, 44. Jg., Heft 2/2021, S. 231-248.
• Vertariflichung sozialer Sicherung als sozialpolitisches Mandat der Gewerkschaften?
  In: Brigitte Aulenbacher, Frank Deppe, Klaus Dörre, Christoph Ehlscheid and Klaus Pickshaus (eds.): Mosaiklinke Zukunftspfade. Trade union, politics, science. Münster: Westfälisches Dampfboot, 2021, pp. 246-255.
• Tarifsozialpolitik im transformierten Sozialstaat: Entwicklung, Stand und Perspektiven.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  Industrielle Beziehungen, 27. Jg., Heft 4/2020, S. 389-414.
• Konflikt und Solidarität als Verhältnis dynamischer Vergesellschaftung.
  Berliner Journal für Soziologie, 30. Jg., Heft 1/2020, S. 23-48.
• Conflicts of inequality. A social-theoretical definition of their emergence, development and treatment.
  In: Monika Eigmüller and Nikola Tietze (eds.): Ungleichheitskonflike in Europa. Beyond class and nation. Wiesbaden: VS, 2019, PP. 25-49.
• Conflicts about conflict frameworks. The example of collective bargaining social policy.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  In: Johannes Kiess and Martin Seeliger (eds.): Zwischen Institutionalisierung und Abwehrkampf. International Trade Union Policy in the Process of European Integration. Frankfurt: Campus, 2018 pp. 177-203.
• Conflicts and Conflict Institutionalisation in the European Union
  In: Maurizio Bach and Barbara Hönig (eds.): Handbuch Europasoziologie. Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2017, pp. 162-167
• Scope for decision-making in social benefits law - consequences for social work
  Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, 63rd volume, issue 4/2017, pp. 549-578
• Crowdworking and social security.
  Soziale Sicherheit. Journal of the Austrian Social Insurance, 70th Vol., Issue 1/2017, pp. 32-38.
• Between de- and re-nationalisation. Social security in times of European crises.
  Culture, Practice, and Policy in Europe, 1st vol. 1/2016, pp. 45-53.
• European integration through social conflicts.
  In: Jenny Preunkert and Georg Vobruba (eds.): Krise und Integration. Social formation in the euro crisis. Wiesbaden: Springer VS, 2015, pp. 183-204.
• Editorial for the special issue
  (together with Martin Brussig)
  In: Martin Brussig and Thilo Fehmel (eds.): Sozialpolitische Probleme bei der Gestaltung von Altersübergängen. Journal for Social Reform, 61st volume, issue 4/2015, pp. 345-352.
• New actor constellations in social policy.
  In: Martina Löw (ed.): Vielfalt und Zusammenhalt. Proceedings of the 36th Congress of the German Sociological Association in Bochum and Dortmund 2012. Frankfurt/M.: Campus 2014.
• Introduction: Autonomy gains as a point of reference for social theory and practice.
  In: Thilo Fehmel, Stephan Lessenich and Jenny Preunkert (eds.): Systemzwang und Akteurswissen. Theory and empiricism of autonomy gains. Frankfurt/M.: Campus, 2014, pp. 9-23.
• Conflict theory and social formation. European integration through social conflicts.
  In: Thilo Fehmel, Stephan Lessenich and Jenny Preunkert (eds.): Systemzwang und Akteurswissen. Theory and Empiricism of Autonomy Gains. Frankfurt/M.: Campus, 2014, pp. 133-157.
• First and second order conflicts in Europe.
  Leviathan. Journal of Social Science, 42nd vol. 1/2014, pp. 115-136.
• Tarifsozialpolitik und Insider-Solidarität.
  WSI Mitteilungen, 66. Jg., Heft 6/2013, S. 405-411.
• Globalisation and European social policy. Implications of the "Europe 2020"strategy
  Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften, 11. Jg., Heft 1/2013, S. 21-44.
• Welfare state convergence in Europe. On the structural approximation of European social security systems.
  European Journal of Transnational Studies, 4th vol. 2/2012, pp. 54-80.
• Neither state nor market. Social security and the re-functionalisation of the employment contract.
  In: Maurizio Bach (ed.): Der entmachtete Leviathan. Is the sovereign state dissolving? Baden-Baden: Nomos 2012 (special volume of the Zeitschrift für Politik, vol. 12), pp. 155-174.
• Strategic remembrance. Institutions, concepts and the instrumentalisation of the past.
  Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, 37. Jg., Heft 3/2012, S. 243-263.
• Interests and intentions. Convergence effects and chances of realising the flexicurity concept of the European Union.
  Zeitschrift für Staats- und Europawissenschaften, 9. Jg., Heft 2/2011, S. 199-223.
• Institutional change through semantic continuity: The uninterrupted transformation of collective bargaining autonomy.
  In: Knud Andresen / Ursula Bitzegeio / Jürgen Mittag (eds.): Nach dem Strukturbruch? Kontinuität und Wandel der Arbeitswelt(en) seit den 1970er Jahren", Bonn: Dietz 2011 (Reihe Politik und Gesellschaftsgeschichte, Bd. 89), pp. 267-291.
  also published as a licensed edition for the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Schriftenreihe Bd. 1197, 2011.
• Between law and tariff. Altersübergänge als Gestaltungsaufgabe.
  Informationsdienst Altersfragen, 38. Jg., Heft 4/2011, p. 9-14.
• Regulations of the collective bargaining and company partners on flexible age transitions.
  Soziale Sicherheit. Journal of Labour and Social Affairs, 60th vol., issue 2/2011, pp. 45-51.
• Begriffsinstrumentalisierung im politischen Diskurs.
  Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte, 98. Jg., Heft 1/2011, S. 1-24.
• Collective bargaining autonomy between functional capacity and capacity to act. Causes, process and consequences of the new version of § 116 of the Labour Promotion Act.
  Geschichte und Gesellschaft - Zeitschrift für Historische Sozialwissenschaft, 36. Jg., Heft 4/2010, S. 597-626.
• State-controlled collective bargaining autonomy. Institutional change through semantic continuity.
  Berliner Journal für Soziologie, 20. Jg., Heft 4/2010, S. 423-445.
• Learning from Switzerland? New research on the history of the Swiss social security system.
  Zeitschrift für Sozialreform, 54. Jg., Heft 3/2008, S. 329-337.
• Europäisches Sozialmodell und EU-Sozialpolitik.
  (together with Monika Eigmüller)
  Soziologische Revue - Besprechung neuer Literatur, 31. Jg., Heft 4/2008, S. 387-396
• Vorsorgender Sozialstaat - Zukunft des Sozialstaates?
  wiso direkt - Analysen und Konzepte zur Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Abt. Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik, Bonn, July 2007.
• Social partnership and social policy. Geschichte und Zukunft eines Kompetenzverhältnisses.
  Dis/kurs - Politikwissenschaftliche und geschichtsphilosophische Interventionen, 2. Jg., Heft 2/2006, S. 77-90.

Reviews on / in

• Neue sozialwissenschaftliche Literatur zum Wohlfahrtsstaat und zur Sozialpolitik.
  Soziologische Revue, 44. Jg., Heft 2/2021, S. 231-248.
• Europeanisation of old-age pension policy. Up-, down- and interload processes between member states and the European level. Johannes Varwick et al., Opladen B. Budrich 2016,
  published in: Politische Vierteljahresschrift, 58th volume, issue 4/2017, pp. 635-637
• Advocate for the elderly. History of the Pro Senectute Foundation in the emerging Swiss welfare state, Matthias Ruoss, Zurich: Chronos 2015
  published in: Traverse - Journal of History, 24th volume, issue 3/2017, pp. 168-171
• Montanmitbestimmung und Unternehmenskultur während der Bergbaukrise 1958 - 1968. (Series Publications of the Institute for Social Movements, Publication Series A, Vol. 56). Walter Vollmer, Essen: Klartext 2013
  Published in: H-Soz-Kult, issue 11.12.2014
• Conflict strategy and the search for consensus in the crisis. From the Central Working Group to Concerted Action (Series: Historical Foundations of Modernity 3). Andrea Rehling, Baden-Baden: Nomos 2011
  Published in: Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte. 99th volume, issue 4/2012, pp. 540-541
• Upheaval on the "Inner Front". War and social policy in Switzerland, 1938-1948. Matthieu Leimgruber, Martin Lengwiler (eds.), Zurich: Chronos 2009
  published in: Traverse - Journal of History, 17th vol. 3/2010, pp. 193-194
• The Swiss Welfare State. Zum Ausbau des sozialen Sicherungssystems 1975-2005. Julia Moser, Frankfurt a. M.: Campus 2008
  published in: Traverse - Zeitschrift für Geschichte, 17. vol. 3/2010, pp. 194-19
• Europäisches Sozialmodell und EU-Sozialpolitik. collective review
  (together with Monika Eigmüller)
  published in: Soziologische Revue - Besprechung neuer Literatur, 31. Jg., Heft 4/2008, S. 387-396
• Risk policy in the welfare state. The Swiss Accident Insurance 1870-1970. Martin Lengwiler, Cologne: Böhlau 2006 and
• Solidarity without the State? Business and the Shaping of the Swiss Welfare State, 1890-2000. Matthieu Leimgruber, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press 2008
  Double review
  published in: Traverse - Journal of History, vol. 15, issue 3/2008, pp. 181-185
• Area review: Labour
  published in: Soziologische Revue - Besprechung neuer Literatur, 29. Jg., Heft 2/2006, S. 212-219
• Trade unions without full employment: Peter Bleses and Antje Vetterlein, Wiesbaden: Westdeutscher Verlag 2002,
  published in: Journal of European Social Policy, vol. 13, issue 3/2003, pp. 306-307
• and extended German version
  published in: Journal of Social Reform, 49th Vol., No. 5/2003, pp. 800-804
• Development of social security systems in Japan and Europe: Bernd von Maydell; Shimomura, Takeshi; Tezuka, Kazuaki (eds.), Berlin 2000,
  published in: Comparativ - Leipziger Beiträge zur Universalgeschichte und vergleichenden Gesellschaftsforschung, 11. Jg., Heft 3/2001, S. 180-184

Working papers / Reports

• Collective bargaining social policy and social security standardisation. On the interrelationship between state and collectively agreed old-age security, labour market and health policies in Germany and Austria.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  HBS working paper No. 165, Research Promotion of the Hans Böckler Foundation Düsseldorf, 2019, Perma-link
• Collective bargaining for social security. Perspectives of employers' organisations and trade unions in Germany and Austria.
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  HBS working paper No. 148, Forschungsförderung der Hans Böckler Stiftung Düsseldorf, 2019
  Perma-link: https: //www.boeckler.de/6299.htm?produkt=HBS-007513&chunk=1
• Collective agreement regulation of social security. Germany and Austria in comparison
  (together with Norbert Fröhler)
  HBS working paper No. 76, Research funding of the Hans Böckler Foundation Düsseldorf, 2018, Perma-link
• Between de- and re-nationalisation. Social security in times of European crises. 
  Research into Europeanisation Working Paper Series. Europa-Universität Flensburg; Seminar for Sociology, No. 11/2016
  Perma-link: https: //www.uni-flensburg.de/fileadmin/content/seminare/soziologie/dokumente/culture-practice-and-europeanization/issue-1-2016/issue-1-2016-fehmel.pdf
• Revival or retreat? The welfare state in times of crisis.
  Conference report on the event organised by the Social Policy Section at the DGS Congress 2014 in Trier.
  Soziologie - Forum der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie, 44. Jg., Heft 4/2015, S. 485-488.
• Conflict theory and the formation of society. European integration through social conflicts.
  Serie Europa - Europe Series. Institute of Sociology at the University of Leipzig, No. 1, 2014
• System constraint and actor knowledge. On the transformation of social change.
  Conference report (together with Stephan Lessenich and Jenny Preunkert)
  Serie Europa - Europe Series. Institute for Sociology at the University of Leipzig, 2013
• Social policy by collective agreement. Causes and Consequences of the Collective Bargaining of Social Security.
  SEU Working Paper Series. Free University of Berlin / University of Leipzig, Research Project 
  Social Space Europe, No. 5, 2013
  Perma-link: https: //www.uni-flensburg.de/fileadmin/content/seminare/soziologie/dokumente/working-paper-series/seu-working-paper-5-2013.pdf
• Globalisation and European Social Policy
  Serie Europa - Europe Series. Institute for Sociology at the University of Leipzig, No. 2, 2013
• Past as claimed present. Conceptual instrumentalisation in political discourse.
  Working Reports of the Institute of Sociology at Leipzig University, No. 58/2012.
• Unintended approximation? Theory and empiricism of socio-political convergence in Europe. 
  Serie Europa - Europe Series. Institute of Sociology at the University of Leipzig, No. 2, 2012
• State action between company employment protection and collective bargaining autonomy. The adaptive transformation of industrial relations by the state. 
  Arbeitsberichte des Instituts für Soziologie der Universität Leipzig, No. 42/2006.
• Contribution to:
  Struck, Olaf (ed.): Occupational Stability and Flexibility Orientations in East Germany. Ergebnisse eines Forschungspraktikums. 
  Arbeitsberichte des Instituts für Soziologie der Universität Leipzig, No. 21/2001.

Projects

• Citizen participation in the digital society
  2019 - 2021
  Team: Prof. Thilo Fehmel (HTWK), Dr Lisa Schlegel (HTWK)
  Funding: Saxon Ministry of Science, Culture and Tourism
   
• Social policy per collective agreement
  2015 - 2019
  Team: Prof. Thilo Fehmel (HTWK), Norbert Fröhler (Uni DuE)
  Funding: Hans Böckler Foundation, Research Promotion Welfare State