Clemens Kroneberg

Clemens Kroneberg is a Professor of Sociology at the Institute of Sociology and Social Psychology at the University of Cologne, where he joined the Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences in April 2013. He serves as spokesperson for the Competence Area 'Social and Economic Behavior' at the University of Cologne and is a faculty member of the International Max Planck Research School on the Social and Political Constitution of the Economy (IMPRS). Kroneberg is also an external fellow of the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research and an elected Fellow of the European Academy of Sociology, reflecting his significant contributions to the field.

After studying Social Science at the University of Mannheim, Kroneberg received his PhD from the same institution in 2009. His academic journey has been marked by prestigious appointments and recognition, including an ERC Starting Grant for his SOCIALBOND project and membership in multiple research networks. His work bridges theoretical innovation with empirical rigor, contributing to both European and international scholarly discourse.

Kroneberg's research centers on analytical sociology, with particular expertise in social networks, ethnic boundary making, crime and deviance, and migration studies. He has made significant theoretical contributions through the development and application of the Model of Frame Selection, an integrative theory of action that covers framing and variable rationality. His empirical work often focuses on school contexts, examining how ethnicity, gender, and social structures interact to shape identities, friendships, and behavioral outcomes. Recent research has increasingly addressed the post-pandemic rise in juvenile delinquency and the integration of immigrant children in European educational systems.

His publication record demonstrates consistent scholarly productivity across multiple high-impact journals in sociology and criminology. The research trajectory shows increasing focus on multilevel analyses of social networks, the interplay between individual agency and structural constraints, and comparative studies across European educational contexts. Recent work has expanded to include methodological innovations in measuring criminogenic exposure and developing scales for key constructs in situational action theory.

• Robert K. Merton Best Paper Award 2021 for 'More than a Sorting Machine: Ethnic Boundary Making in a Stratified School System' (with Hanno Kruse)
• Best Article Award of the Rationality and Society section of the American Sociological Association, 2013 for 'Struggling over the boundaries of belonging. A formal model of nation building, ethnic closure, and populism' (with Andreas Wimmer)

Kroneberg has supervised numerous doctoral students including Maria Gerth, André Ernst, Sonja Schulz, Harald Beier, and Hanno Kruse, several of whom have gone on to receive recognition for their work. He has secured significant research funding, including an ERC Starting Grant for the SOCIALBOND project (2017-2022) and DFG funding for the 'Friendship and Violence in Adolescence' panel study and the 'Juvenile delinquency in urban school and residential contexts' project. His research collaborations extend internationally, with partnerships at institutions including Cambridge University, Harvard University, and Nuffield College, Oxford.

Kroneberg leads the SOCIALBOND project examining peer dynamics across multiple European countries to develop a theory of boundary making. He also directs the 'Friendship and Violence in Adolescence' study and collaborates with German state police on understanding youth violence. His work bridges academic research with practical applications for social policy, particularly in education and crime prevention.