Alena Kunkel

Alena Kunkel is a PhD Fellow in the DFG-funded Research Training Group (GRK) "Life Sciences – Life Writing" at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Her research focuses on forensic psychiatry, examining how medical expertise intersects with individual biographies, institutional structures, and legal frameworks. She holds a Master's degree in Sociology, Cultural Studies, and Slavonic Literature from Georg-August University Göttingen and Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Prior to her PhD, she worked as an academic teacher in Sociology at JGU Mainz (2014), a journalist, and in public administration. Her interdisciplinary work bridges sociology, anthropology, and medicine, exploring narratives of bodily and psychological experiences through methods like narrative interviews and ethnomethodology.

Education:

• Master's Degree in Sociology, Cultural Studies, and Slavonic Literature (Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz)
• Studies at Georg-August University Göttingen

Research Interests: Kunkel investigates how medical expertise shapes individual life stories, particularly in forensic contexts where expert opinions influence legal and medical outcomes. Her work highlights the interplay between institutional systems (e.g., law, medicine), bodily perceptions, and cultural narratives. She also explores alternative health practices (TCM, osteopathy) as complementary approaches to conventional medicine.

Funding & Projects: Her current project, funded by the GRK, examines the production of medical expertise in forensic psychiatry and its impact on patient narratives. This involves analyzing expert reports, conducting interviews with psychiatrists, and studying legal-medical documentation.

Labs/Teams: Member of the GRK "Life Sciences – Life Writing," a collaborative interdisciplinary initiative between medical humanities and social sciences.