English
In this rapid response research project, we use a mixed-methods approach to document, preserve, and share ephemeral data on the social dimensions of an emergent outbreak, and to translate this knowledge into tangible countermeasures that can aid in minimizing the negative impacts of the disease on individuals and communities. Our mixed-methods approach includes (1) a national, representative, longitudinal/repeated measures survey of up to 1,050 German households (30,000 households contacted, est. response rate 3.5%), (2) follow-up interviews across Germany (n = 90 over three intervals) to gain additional details, (3) a diary method to understand the nuances of everyday life under dramatically new conditions, (4) an online ethnography on Twitter to understand how a range of public health and affective content is received and communicated by diverse audiences (5) content analysis of mainstream media and public health releases. This approach will help us to understand a range of research questions covering the ethical, legal and socio-economic dimensions of the COVID-19 outbreak, including how individuals and communities perceive risks and protective behaviours related to COVID-19 with regards to individual human rights, pro-social ethical duties and their own socio-economic situations; how public understandings of the disease evolve as a result of information production, reception and internalisation processes; how these vary across diverse populations and demographics; and how German citizens are experiencing stigmatization and negative outcomes. Understanding these aspects will inform discussions pertaining to what local knowledge can be mobilized to help respond and facilitate German citizens who seek to contribute, and how pro-social behaviours can be fostered.

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English
This study focuses on the situation of lsbti* youth from the perspective of teachers and other pedagogical staff in Berlin’s schools. Behavior towards lsbti* youth as well as knowledge and attitudes are assessed to examine how teachers/pedagogical staff can be encouraged to consider sexual and gender diversity as well as multiple discrimination in their work. The study includes focus groups as well as problem-centered interviews with lsbti * youth, teachers/pedagogical staff and individuals with proven expertise in sexual and gender diversity and multiple discrimination. Based on the results of the focus groups and interviews, teachers/pedagogical staff will then be further examined with the help of online surveys. In the main online survey, a random sample is drawn from all Berlin schools, which is then advertised intensively in order to encourage as many of the pedagogical professionals as possible to participate. In this way, self-selection effects are reduced and as representative as possible statements about the actual dissemination of certain (mis-)assumptions and behavior towards LSBTI * adolescents are made possible. The qualitative and quantitative results are used to derive concrete recommendations for practice.

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German
In der Studie wird zum einen eine Bestandsaufnahme von Verhalten, Wissen und Einstellungen (pädagogischer) Fachkräfte gegenüber lsbti* Jugendlichen und Mehrfachdiskriminierung vorgenommen, zum anderen wird untersucht, wie (pädagogische) Fachkräfte dazu bewegt werden können, sexuelle und geschlechtliche Vielfalt in ihrer Arbeit zu berücksichtigen. Die Studie umfasst Fokusgruppen sowie problemzentrierte Interviews mit lsbti* Jugendlichen, pädagogischen Fachkräften und Personen, die über eine ausgewiesene Expertise in den Bereichen sexuelle und geschlechtliche Vielfalt sowie Mehrfachdiskriminierung verfügen. Auf die Ergebnisse der Fokusgruppen aufbauend werden anschließend pädagogische Fachkräfte mit Hilfe von Onlinebefragungen vertiefend untersucht. In der Haupt-Onlinebefragung wird dazu aus sämtlichen Berliner Schulen und Jugendeinrichtungen eine geschichtete Zufallsstichprobe gezogen, die anschließend intensiv beworben wird, um möglichst viele der dort tätigen (pädagogischen) Fachkräfte zu einer Teilnahme zu bewegen. Auf diese Weise werden Selbstselektionseffekte reduziert und möglichst repräsentative Aussagen über die tatsächliche Verbreitung bestimmter (Fehl-)Annahmen und Verhaltensweisen gegenüber LSBTI* Jugendlichen ermöglicht. Aus den qualitativen und quantitativen Ergebnisse werden konkrete Praxisempfehlungen abgeleitet, insbesondere dazu, welche Inhalte bei Qualifizierungsmaßnahmen thematisiert werden sollten, um Fehlannahmen ab- und verhaltenswirksame Kompetenzen aufzubauen.

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English
Construction of magical thinking has been central for human cognitive adaptation to uncertainty of living. In this project, we compare how such thinking is culturally constructed across different countries (Germany, United States, Turkey, India, South Korea) and historical periods (1920s and today). Starting from Heinz Werner’s and Marta Muchow’s work on magical thought in the 1920s continues, we demonstrate how reanalysis and replication of empirical data from other historical periods can be a productive epistemological step in comparison with current historical phenomena.

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