Research

Research perspectives of social geography in Jena

Central to the research conducted by the Working Group of Social Geography is the premise that the study of society is always embedded in multiple geometries of power that fundamentally shape research objects and questions and the researchers‘ socio-geographical positions towards research. Therefore, our research involves a critical, (self)reflexive research attitude and is always informed by theoretical-conceptual perspectives on society and its power relations.

At the core of our understanding of social geography lies the Geosocial Question (Runkel & Everts 2017; Runkel et al. 2025). In light of the multiple ecological and social crises, such as climate change, global inequality, geopolitical insecurity and war, we think that deploying perspectives on the Geosocial is highly relevant. Following the historical emergence of social geography as an academic discipline and taking into account its formation as a critically engaged field of social research, the Geosocial Question addresses the fact that social inequality is essentially manifested spatially and inscribed in society-nature relationships (socionatures). Conceptually, the objects of our socio-geographical research on the Geosocial Question are conceived of as dynamic and stabilized productions of space that have emerged historically and geographically, and which are subject to societal and geopolitical change. In our understanding productions of space have both, a material side (e.g. built environment, experiential space) and an ideal character (e.g. symbolic arrangements, imaginative spaces, discourses and ideologies). Our research therefore addresses symbolic as well as material aspects of socionatures.

Although we do not focus our research activities on a particular region, we develop various regional orientations through joint research projects, teaching partnerships and individual research cooperations in Brazil, Central Europe (Germany, Turkey, France, England, Romania), East Asia (esp. China) and Central Asia (Kyrgyzstan, Georgia China‘s Western Provinces).

The research conducted at the Working Group of Social Geography comprises three fields of research: (1) "Geographies of Communities", (2) "Geographical Security and Peaces Studies" and (3) "Geohistories of Ideas".

A quick overview of all ongoing research projects can be found here.