Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC)

The Research Institute Social Cohesion (RISC) is an alliance of eleven university institutes and research bodies, which are located in ten different federal states and – as a consequence – are also looking at the regional diversity of social cohesion in Germany. Funding for the RISC has been provided by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research since 1 June 2020. Together, more than 100 researchers from a large number of different disciplines use empirical studies and large-scale comparisons to develop practical approaches that contribute to meeting current social challenges.

In Konstanz, we are taking a consistent social and cultural science orientation. We are primarily interested in the origins of social cohesion and the conditions under which it evolves. Our researchers do not isolate any cultural dimensions in the narrower sense but instead observe them in their interaction with socio-economic, political and institutional factors. This is where our cultural studies approach makes a real contribution to the research alliance as a whole.