Björn Kraus

Prof. Dr. Björn Kraus holds a W3 Full Professorship for Social Work Science at the Evangelical University of Freiburg (EH) since 2012, and is a Private Lecturer at the University of Kassel since 2021. His academic career includes roles at Heidelberg University, the University of Landau, and the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland. He specializes in relational constructivism, power theory in social work, and epistemological foundations of social work science. Kraus has habilitated in Human Sciences and earned his doctorate in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Heidelberg University.

His research focuses on developing relational constructivist frameworks for social work practice, particularly addressing power dynamics, client interaction models, and professional identity. Key contributions include the theory of 'relational social work' and analyses of 'instruktive vs. destructive power' in social interventions. Kraus is a co-editor of major works on power in social work and serves on editorial boards for journals like Soziale Passagen and Neue Praxis.

He is an active member of professional societies including the German Society for Social Work (DGSA) and the German Society for Systemic Social Work (dgssa). His work integrates epistemological debates with practical applications, emphasizing the relational construction of lifeworlds and life conditions. Kraus teaches advanced social work theory and methodology courses, bridging academic research with professional practice.