Koen van Eijck

Koen van Eijck is a Full Professor of Cultural Lifestyles and head of the Examination Board at the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, Erasmus University Rotterdam. He serves as a Board Member of the Erasmus Research Centre for Media, Communication and Culture (ERMeCC) and sits on the editorial boards of the journals Poetics and Kunst + Educatie. His academic journey includes a PhD in Sociology from Tilburg University (1996) and foundational studies in developmental psychology at Radboud University Nijmegen.

His research explores complex sociocultural dynamics including:

• Social inequality in cultural participation and taste patterns
• Evolution of leisure behavior and media consumption
• Talent development frameworks in artistic domains
• Aesthetic perception mechanisms for music and visual art
• Cross-cultural analyses of consumption practices

Recent publications (2019-2025) demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches bridging sociology, psychology, and cultural studies. Predominant themes include music-induced analgesia, collective behavior in cultural consumption, sustainable consumer choices, and innovative methodologies for audience engagement research.

Professor van Eijck teaches critical courses in:

• Philosophy of science
• Cultural consumption patterns
• Advanced research methodology
• Sociological theory

across Bachelor's and Research Master's programs. His collaborative projects include interdisciplinary investigations into physiological and psychological impacts of concert attendance, partnering with medical researchers and cultural institutions.