Olaf Behrend

Olaf Behrend is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Siegen, affiliated with Faculty I. He holds a venia legendi in Sociology after completing his habilitation in 2013. His research focuses on family theory, genogram analysis, reconstructive methods, new middle-class culture, and cultural sociology, including analyses of vampire motifs in film. Behrend has held permanent faculty status since 2011 and previously conducted fieldwork with the Nuuchanulth First Nation in Canada, alongside freelance work in media research and market consulting.

Education: Studied Slavic studies, German studies, and sociology at Goethe University Frankfurt (graduated 1999). Professional highlights include roles as a research associate in DFG-funded projects like 'Participatory Policy Consulting' (Bielefeld University) and 'Organizational Reform of Employment Administration' (IAB). He has taught at multiple institutions, including the University of Applied Sciences St. Gallen and the VFHS Thuringia Police Department.

Research interests span family dynamics, cultural sociology, and qualitative methods. He co-edits works on reconstructive educational research and has published widely on film as a sociocultural artifact. Behrend also leads case workshops in genogram analysis for professionals in social work, therapy, and education.