Social Sciences

Research in the social sciences encompasses a broad spectrum of internationally leading disciplinary and interdisciplinary scholarship that addresses key societal challenges at the national, European and global levels – both seminally contributing to academic debates and providing timely advice on policies and solutions.

Research in social and economic inequality is devoted to strategic topics such as income and wealth dynamics and the interplay between the two, inequalities related to education and gender and their consequences for health and ageing, the rise of a new precariat, the accumulation of social stressors for cohorts and whole societies, convergence and divergence between immigrants and locals, and the complex policy problems associated with the rising frustrations of the middle classes.

Research in the sociology of education explores the consequences of educational opportunities and (formal and non-formal) processes of education over the life course and analyzes the ways education systems affect the life chances of individuals and groups. It provides new insights on macro-, meso- and micro-levels, from global to local, and comparatively, based on quantitative, qualitative and historical data. Comparative perspectives, emphasizing historical and spatial similarities and differences, facilitate our understanding of educational achievement, attainment and inequalities, and inform policymaking.

Research on childhood and youth examines the conditions and opportunity structures of growing up against the backdrop of social change and inequalities. A range of theoretical perspectives and multi-methodological designs serve to research the links between policies, education and welfare systems, and social and personal resources for citizenship, identity, health, migration, participation, school-to-work transition, and well-being. The social scientific examination of childhood, youth, and young adulthood produces unique insights that are highly relevant to policy.

Research in political science focuses on European Union policies and decision-making, European and international political economy, electoral politics in post-conflict societies, human rights and parliamentarianism. This research critically examines contemporary processes of multi-level governance and the implications of such complex, evolving structures for both policy coherence and democratic accountability.

The Department of Social Sciences regularly engage in public outreach via events and communication with media representatives, while also maintaining strong connections with national and European-level policy communities across all four interconnected strands of research. The Department contributes to the shaping of public policy in relation to both the unique challenges and opportunities facing Luxembourgish society and to the development of wider European and international frames of reference.

Related Institutes

Centre for Childhood and Youth Research

Institute for Education and Society

Institute for Socio-Economic Inequality

Institute of Political Science

Latest projects

Social Sciences

Into the second year of the pandemic: What has changed for young people in Luxembourg?

Researchers from the University of Luxembourg have just published 2021’s preliminary results of a representative survey of young people and COVID-19 (YAC). This report is a follow-up to the 2020 publication on “Young People and COVID-19”. The YAC project monitors the situation of young people in Luxembourg throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and analyses its short-, medium- and long-term consequences.

Social Sciences

Well-being and health of young people

The “National Report on the Situation of Youth in Luxembourg 2020,” published by the Ministry of Education, Children and Youth (MENJE) together with researchers from the University of Luxembourg, answers questions about well-being and health.

Social Sciences

COVID-19: Saving lives or saving the economy ?

A new study conducted by dr. Christophe Lesschaeve, Prof. Josip Glaurdić, and dr. Michal Mochtak from the Department of Social science and recently accepted for publication in the journal Public Opinion Quarterly (ranked globally as the best journal for public opinion research) looks into the public attitudes towards the difficult trade-off imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdowns decrease the spread of the virus, but amplify the damage to the economy. Are people willing to accept a higher death toll in an attempt to limit the damage of the economy, or is saving lives considered nonnegotiable?

Social Sciences

Monitoring the pulse of youth

Developed by the Centre for Childhood and Youth Research, the Youth Survey Luxembourg collects data on different aspects of the lives of young people aged 16 to 29 every 5 years .The findings help policy-makers in their decisions as well as researchers.

Social Sciences

Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) – a WHO collaborative study in 50 countries

For over 30 years, the HBSC study has been assessing the health behaviours of young people in 50 countries. With this data base it is possible to identify and respond to health risks and inequalities among young people. This is particularly relevant because health problems that arise during this critical stage of life can have an impact even in later life.

Social Sciences

How past becomes present

Using a multi-disciplinary methodological toolbox, the ERC-funded project ELWar – Electoral Legacies of War: Political Competition in Postwar Southeast Europe – seeks to understand how (war) past becomes embedded in (political) present and why postwar societies often struggle to overcome conflict traumas.

Social Sciences

Challenges to Democracy and Social Life in European Small States

A research project of the University of Luxembourg funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ scheme aims to bridge the knowledge gap regarding small states and their challenges. Challenges to Democracy and Social Life in European Small States underlines the vast differences in the challenges faced by small states compared to bigger nations. By raising awareness of the situation in which small states find themselves, this project aims to facilitate the exchange of information and to promote knowledge of the approaches adopted by small states as well as their policies.

Social Sciences

Eurostudent VII : Students’ Study and Living Conditions in Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, education policymakers are missing key information regarding higher education students. To address this shortcoming, the University of Luxembourg is taking part in the International Eurostudent project. The goal of this European initiative is to collect information on the social dimension of European higher education to compare it across all participating countries.

Social Sciences

Relational quality: developing quality through collaborative networks and collaboration portfolios (Q-KNOW)

Research collaborations play a major role in the quality of science. The University of Luxembourg, together with the University of Mannheim and the University of Hannover, seeks to understand how collaborations, networks and organizational structures influence the development of science.