Alexandra Manske

Dr. phil. habil. Alexandra Manske serves as an Acting Professor of Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen within the Faculty of Social Sciences, where she leads research and teaching activities at the Institute of Sociology. Her academic profile centers on work sociology, gender studies, and social inequalities, with particular expertise in cultural and creative industries.

Her research interests include:

• Work sociology and transformations in labor relations
• Gender studies and inequalities in workplace structures
• Social inequalities and precarious work conditions
• Cultural and creative industries
• Contemporary work cultures and organizational practices
• Digital transformation's impact on labor

Professor Manske's scholarly output reveals a consistent analytical focus on the paradoxes of creative labor, where glamour and precarity coexist. Her work examines how emotional labor functions as organizational currency in design agencies, power dynamics in theater production, and gendered impacts of pandemic conditions on cultural workers. She investigates tensions between traditional work structures and digital transformation, particularly how hybrid work models affect creative professionals. Her research demonstrates how seemingly progressive creative industries often perpetuate traditional gender hierarchies despite apparent flexibility.

Her significant research projects include the DFG Network 'Artistic-Creative Employment' (2017-2023), the current 'Self-employment and Retirement Provision' study (2024-2026), and the 2023 analysis of 'Funding architecture for the independent performing arts in Hamburg.' Professor Manske has received invitations to speak at major academic and cultural events including the Sociology Congress 2025, Westphalian Cultural Conference, and Digital Arts Zurich.

Her scholarly contributions extend beyond academia through media engagement, including an interview featured in the July 2025 Soziopolis newsletter discussing changing work cultures, creative labor paradoxes, and industrial society revival. Her ability to bridge theoretical sociology with contemporary social challenges demonstrates her commitment to relevant academic work.