Research Projects – Overview
The research projects of the Department of Foreign and International Social Law are structured according to the following main areas of work:
Europeanisation of the Welfare State
The Europeanisation and internationalisation of social law is characterised by an increasing importance of supranational and international regulations. This leads to the interplay between national regulation on the one hand, and regional or global regulation on the other. It also ultimately results in an increase in plurality and potential legal conflicts within a legal system, which constitute some of the core research subjects.
Modernisation of the Welfare State
The modernisation of social law in the post-modern era is characterized, especially in developed countries, by an adaptation to social changes, by the use of new forms of control and steering instruments, and by further developments with regard to the design and objectives of social benefits. Comparative studies may help to better understand these developments. In this context, the question always arises as to which extent traditional systems should and can be supplemented or replaced by new ones.
Foundations of the Social State
In addition to modernisation processes, the Social Law Department also deals with the foundations of guaranteeing social protection as a core task of the welfare state. They show how political communities can be designed, what tasks they should pursue as well as possible ways to achieve social policy goals.
Health Law
Health projects have been part of the Department’s research work for a long time. However, a collaborative project on personalised healthcare carried out between 2010 and 2014 has laid the concrete and organisational foundation for the formation of a research unit on health law. Interdisciplinary exchange has also led to new research questions, which are addressed here.
Law and Social Sciences
The research area "Law and Social Sciences" is primarily concerned with empirical studies. They enrich qualitative legal research with quantitative and experimental work.
