Jens Elberfeld

Dr. Jens Elberfeld is a Scientific Assistant at the Institute for Pedagogy within the Philosophical Faculty III (Educational Sciences) at Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg. His academic work focuses on the history of education, particularly examining therapeutic discourse, body history, and sexuality studies within historical contexts.

Dr. Elberfeld completed his doctorate at the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology on the history of the rise to predominance of therapeutic discourse, supported by the Hans Böckler Foundation. Prior to joining MLU Halle, he worked as a researcher in the Department of Education at Ruhr-Universität Bochum. He studied history, education, and sociology at Bielefeld University and Johns Hopkins University.

His principal research interests lie in the history of psychotherapy, the history of the body and sexuality, German Jewish history, and theories of society and the social sphere. Currently, he is engaged in a research project on the history of 'juvenile' sexuality in the modern age. Dr. Elberfeld approaches these topics through a historical lens that examines how therapeutic discourse has shaped modern understandings of self, body, and society.

Dr. Elberfeld's publication record reveals a consistent focus on the therapeutization of society throughout the 20th century, with particular attention to how therapeutic discourse intersects with political movements, gender norms, and cultural practices. His work spans multiple disciplines including history, sociology, education, and cultural studies, demonstrating the interdisciplinary nature of his research on the historical development of therapeutic culture.

Dr. Elberfeld serves as co-editor of the open access journal Body Politics. Zeitschrift für Körpergeschichte, is a member of the geschichte + theorie working group, and sits on the Editorial Assistant Board of Paedagogica Historica. International Journal for the History of Education. He is also part of a DFG-funded research network examining 'Histories of Knowledge of the unavailable self' in psychology, sociology, ethnology and cultural studies from 1850-1980.

At MLU Halle, Dr. Elberfeld teaches courses on topics including childhood and youth in National Socialism, family history, sexuality studies, and the history of education. His teaching reflects his research interests, connecting historical analysis with contemporary issues in education and society.