BePart - Participation and partnerships in structural change
Participation and partnerships in structural change. Integrating social innovations into everyday life in Lusatia and strengthening them through practical action (10/2022 - 09/2025)
In addition to the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz (TRAWOS Institute, Principal Investigator and Project Coordinator Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat), the project involves the University of Siegen (Principal Investigator Dr. Franz Eckhard) and Neo.NET e.V. as project partners.
Project Description
Within the research consortium, the opportunities as well as the enabling and constraining conditions of different forms of innovation in structurally weak regions were investigated through two contrasting ethnographic case studies in Lusatia. Particular attention was given to social innovations.
In a first phase, guided by the principle of “Exploring Lifeworlds,” the research examined how local actors perceive the disruptions and challenges facing their region, particularly in light of previous experiences of structural transformation, and how they understand their own role in processes of innovation and change. Building on these findings, a second phase, “Shaping Change”, involved the co-development and experimental implementation of social innovation formats together with local practice partners. These formats were designed to make the possibilities for actively shaping structural transformation tangible and experienceable. In the final phase, “Securing Sustainability”, the focus was on ensuring the long-term continuation of the tested formats within the region and on developing transferable procedural knowledge. This knowledge is intended to support the promotion of sustainable innovations in structurally weak regions beyond the specific case studies examined in the project.
Project Results
Following three intensive years of research in Lusatia, key findings and the conclusions derived from them have been prepared and presented in a visual format. Through a detailed analysis of the case study locations, the project developed a comprehensive understanding of local conditions and dynamics. This knowledge provided the foundation for the design and pilot implementation of innovative formats tailored to the regional context. These formats make an important contribution to understanding processes of social change in structurally weak regions.
Publications and Presentations
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Journal Articles
- Erhard, F. / Jukschat, N. / Lerche, S. (2025): Transformative (Sozial-)Wissenschaft? Chancen, Grenzen und Gefahren eines Gestaltungsanspruchs. H‑Soz‑Kult.
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine (2025): Soziale Innovationen als Labeling in aktuellen Transformationsprozessen. Kriminologisches Journal, 57 (2), S. 114–131.
- Jukschat, Nadine / Erhard, Franz / Socha, Emilia (2024): Participation in Structural Change – Understanding Social Innovations in Lusatia from a Life‑World Perspective. ACC Journal, 30 (3), S. 37–45.
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine (2023): Soziale Innovationen: implizite Annahmen und analytisches Potenzial. Behemoth – A Journal on Social Dis/Order, 16 (2), S. 109–122.
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Media Reports
- DIE ZEIT (issue 30/2025, 16 July 2025): Lausitz im Wandel: Soziolog:innen beleuchten den Strukturwandel als Trauerprozess.
In an interview with Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat and Dr. Franz Erhard, findings from the research project are discussed. The article suggests that structural change should not only be understood in economic terms, but also as a social and emotional process. It highlights the importance of individual attitudes and the emotional dimension of transformation. - Episode 2: “BePart in the podcast ‘Nach meiner Kenntnis ist das sofort!’”
In the second episode, Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat and Dr. Franz Erhard discuss research findings from the two case study regions. - Episode 1: “BePart in the podcast ‘Nach meiner Kenntnis ist das sofort!’”
In the first episode of the podcast hosted by political scientists Julian Nejkow and Clemens Kießling, Prof. Dr. Nadine Jukschat and Dr. Franz Erhard provided in-depth insights into the research project and discussed the relevance of sociological
- DIE ZEIT (issue 30/2025, 16 July 2025): Lausitz im Wandel: Soziolog:innen beleuchten den Strukturwandel als Trauerprozess.
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Lectures
- Jukschat, Nadine / Erhard, Franz (2025): Controllability of Social Innovations? Presentation at the closing event of the BMFTR funding line “Researching Regional Factors for Innovation and Change – Strengthening Societal Innovation Capacity”. Online: 03/06/2025
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine / Socha, Emilia (2024): Digital Community Research. On the Integration of Qualitative Offline and Online Data. Presentation at the conference “Digital Methods and Data in Ethnography and Qualitative Research” at the University of Vechta: 17/09/2024
- Socha, Emilia / Jukschat, Nadine / Erhard, Franz (2024): Shrinking Cities and Social Innovation: Empirical Insights from a Life-World Perspective. Presentation at the RSA Annual Conference “Global Challenges, Regional Collaboration and the Role of Places”. Theme: “Lost Places or Spaces of Possibilities? Shrinking Cities as Foregrounds for Urban Transformation”. Florence: 14/06/2024
- Jukschat, Nadine (2024): Ethnographic Community Studies 2.0 or: What Does Spatially Oriented Social Work Mean in Times of Digitalisation? Presentation in the online lecture series of the Digitalisation Research Network North-East (DigiNO). Online: 26/04/2024
- Socha, Emilia / Jukschat, Nadine / Erhard, Franz (2024): Participation and Partnerships in Structural Change. Exploring and Strengthening Social Innovations in Lusatia from a Lifeworld Perspective. Presentation at the network meeting on Lusatian social research. Görlitz: 07/03/2024
- Socha, Emilia / Jukschat, Nadine (2024): BePart – Participation and Partnerships in Structural Change. Presentation at the TRAWOS research colloquium. Görlitz: 18/01/2024
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine (2023): The Idea of Social Innovations. Implicit Assumptions and Analytical Potential. Presentation at the conference “Myths of Disruption – TUDiSC Conference”. Dresden: 07/12/2023
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine (2023): Social Innovations. Implicit Assumptions and Analytical Potential. Presentation at the annual conference of the section “Social Problems and Social Control” titled “All New!? Sociological Perspectives on Semantics and Practices of Social Innovation and Transformation”. Hanover: 17/11/2023
- Socha, Emilia / Jukschat, Nadine / Erhard, Franz (2023): Participation in Structural Change. Understanding Social Innovations in Lusatia from a Lifeworld Perspective. Presentation at the 1st ACC Forum “From Change to Transformation” – session “Urban Dynamics beyond the Metropolises” at IBZ St. Marienthal Ostritz: 20/10/2023
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine / Socha, Emilia (2023): Ethnography 2.0: Integrating Offline and Online Data in Community Research. Presentation at the annual conference of the section “Media and Communication Sociology” of the DGS at the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen: 06/10/2023
- Erhard, Franz / Jukschat, Nadine / Socha, Emilia (2023): Ethnography 2.0: Integrating Offline and Online Data in Community Research. Presentation at the open annual conference of the section “Cultural Sociology” of the DGS at Bauhaus University Weimar: 21/09/2023
- Socha, Emilia (2023): Agency Instead of Powerlessness: Agency and (Cultural) Participation in Border Regions. Presentation at the 7th Federal Congress on Interculturality at the University of Potsdam: 14/09/2023
- Lasner-Tietze, Cordula (2023): Participant Observation in the Context of a Community Study. Contribution to working group 15 led by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Raab (Koblenz-Landau) / Sofia Fletschinger (Koblenz-Landau) at the Magdeburg Methods Workshop 2023, Magdeburg: 06/05/2023
- Socha, Emilia (2023): Offline and Online Data in Community Research – Example of a Regional Facebook Group. Contribution to working group 15 led by Prof. Dr. Jürgen Raab (Koblenz-Landau) / Sofia Fletschinger (Koblenz-Landau) at the Magdeburg Methods Workshop 2023, Magdeburg: 05/05/2023
- Erhard, Franz (2023): Putting the Social into Innovation. Including Social Innovations into Transformation Processes. Presentation at the Alumni Academy / “Transformation in Terms of Sustainability” 2023. Siegen: 23/03/2023
- Kick-off workshop on 28/04/2023 at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences with the cooperation partners Kulturbüro Sachsen e.V. and Volkshochschule Görlitz e.V. More information available here.
- ZSM Methods Workshop on Qualitative Educational and Social Research at Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, 05–06 May 2023.
- TRAWOS research colloquium on 18/01/2024. More information available here.
Project funding
The collaborative project BePart is funded for a period of three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the funding line “REGION.innovativ. Researching regional factors for innovation and change – strengthening societal capacity for innovation.”
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2. Obergeschoss
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