Elke Schimpf

Prof. Dr. Elke Schimpf is a faculty member at the Evangelical University of Applied Sciences Darmstadt in the Department of Social Work. She holds the academic rank of Professor and serves as the Equal Opportunities Officer / Women's Representative (deputy) for the university. Her office hours are held on Wednesdays from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM in room H 501.

• Academic career since 1995
• Key research areas: Gender Studies, Conflict Analysis, Lifeworld-Oriented Social Work, Youth and Social Media
• Leadership roles: Senate member of EHD, liaison lecturer for Hans Böckler Foundation
• Active in professional networks: German Society for Social Work (DGSA), gFFZ Gender Research Center

Her research focuses on gendered knowledge production in social work education and practice, with empirical studies on how young people navigate conflicts through social media. She leads funded projects like Gender*Knowledge in Practice-Oriented Modules (HMWK 2022-ongoing) and Gender Power Knowledge (HMWK 2020-2022). Her methodological approach emphasizes participatory research and critical analysis of institutional power dynamics.

Recent publications explore topics such as feminist language criticism, conflictual addressing in social work, and the interplay between gender knowledge and professional practice. She contributes to debates on the productivity of intrafeminist conflicts and the visualization of non-binary identities in pedagogy.

Scientific Awards & Memberships:

• Liaison lecturer, Hans Böckler Foundation
• Academic management, Gender and Women's Research Center of Hessian Universities (gFFZ)
• Jury member, Award for Outstanding Final Theses in Social Work (DBSH/FBTS)
• Member, International Society for Residential Care (IfGH)
• State Working Group on Girls' Policy in Hesse