Birgit Althans

Professor Birgit Althans serves as Professor of Education at the Düsseldorf Art Academy since 2018, following professorships at Leuphana University Lüneburg (2013-2018) and the University of Trier (2008-2013). Her academic journey includes doctoral and habilitation work at the Free University of Berlin, where she earned her doctorate in 1998 with 'Gossip, Women and Speaking at Work' and completed her habilitation in 2005 with 'The Masked Desire of Social Reformers between Social Work and Management.'

Althans' research spans Educational & Historical Anthropology, Gender & Diversity Research, Cultural Studies in Education, and Qualitative Methodologies including ethnography, responsive organizational research, and new materialism. Her work demonstrates a consistent focus on the intersections of gender, cultural practices, and educational institutions. She has led significant research projects including 'Waste Land? Rural Areas as Affective Spaces and Cultural Education as a Pedagogy of Localization' (2020-2023) and 'Materiality of Gender and Pedagogical Authority' (2017-2020).

Her publication record reveals evolving research trajectories with recent emphasis on material feminism, new materialism, and affect theory in educational contexts. The past five years show increased attention to rural cultural education spaces, transcultural pedagogical practices, and the material dimensions of learning environments. Her work consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical educational applications, particularly in art education settings.

Althans holds multiple academic service roles including Board member of the Commission for Educational Anthropology of the Section for General Educational Sciences (DGfE), Member of the International Center for Historical Anthropology at the Free University of Berlin, and editorial board positions for the Yearbook Women's and Gender Studies and the Journal of Cultural Studies.

Her teaching at the Düsseldorf Art Academy encompasses diverse topics including pedagogy as empowerment, shame studies, body concepts, media ecologies, and food politics. Current courses reflect her interdisciplinary approach, connecting historical anthropology with contemporary educational challenges in art contexts.