The interplay between individual lives and society poses many questions for social research:
How do individuals shape their lives? Which decisions do they take and why? How does society influence them? How does a person cope with social change? And how do individuals become actors of social change?

In sociology, two related theoretical and methodological fields deal with such questions: Life Course Analysis and Biographical Research.
Whereas the theory of biography is pointing out that biography is based on social construction, life course analysis focuses on the individual conduction of one’s life, that is highly determined by social norms and interrelations.
The seminar is dealing with a variety of theoretical questions in respect to biographical research and life course analysis such as
• the institutionalization of the life course
• theoretical concepts of biography and the life course
• methods of biographical research and life course analysis.
During the seminar, students will read basic texts and explore sociological methods.