The WZB Berlin Social Science Center honored economist Penny Goldberg for her research on global trade linkages and their impact on global inequality with the A_SK Social Science Award 2025. The award recognizes her work on how protectionism affects income distribution, particularly in strongly Republican districts.
Vanessa Boese-Schlosser has been awarded a €1.5 million ERC Starting Grant to investigate the global spread of democracy and autocracy since 1900. Her project aims to gain insights into the dynamics of regime change, with significant implications for politics and society.
A study of over 1,500 participants found that actively engaging with Nazi atrocities strengthened people's confidence in their ability to act and led to increased motivation for memory projects. This participatory approach also raised awareness of other historical injustices and promoted intergroup relations.
A cross-national field experiment found no gender discrimination against young women in hiring processes for female-dominated occupations. In contrast, men were discriminated against in Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK, with a 5-9% lower chance of receiving feedback on their applications.
Financial hardship significantly affects voter turnout among the poor in Germany, resulting in a 5 percentage point drop in voting intentions and actual turnout. The study analyzed over 1,000 elections and found that short-term financial difficulties lead to increased stress and alienation from politics.
A survey experiment found that referencing violent scriptural passages can increase support for killing enemies of the faith across three religions. In all seven countries studied, verses legitimizing violence led to higher support rates among Muslims compared to Jews and Christians.
A new study challenges traditional assumptions about the link between poverty and dishonesty, finding that individuals cheat equally in periods of relative wealth and poverty. Researchers also found that brief social interventions can improve behavior when wealth increases, but have no effect during times of scarcity.
Research finds that xenophobic attitudes towards migration are widespread in East German communities, unaffected by the arrival of refugees. Negative attitudes prevail despite personal exposure to refugees, with some right-wing and left-wing groups converging on moderate views when receiving refugees.
Research by Tiziana Nazio explores how early family formation affects emotional and practical support in older age. The study found that women still bear the brunt of caregiving, but having a partner or child is crucial for receiving practical help. Family trajectories may shape networks, but they do not change the probability of recei...