معرفی
Laura Bäumel is a Lecturer and Research Assistant (Doc) at the Department of Popular Cultures (ISEK) at the University of Zurich. Her scholarly work focuses on worker cultures, gender studies with emphasis on materialist feminisms, authoritarianism and the shift to the right, and critical education. She has maintained an active research profile with publications extending to 2025 and presentations scheduled through mid-2025.
- Since 2021: Assistant at the Department of Popular Cultures, University of Zurich
- November-December 2024: Visiting Researcher at the Cornelia Goethe Center for Gender Studies, Frankfurt am Main
- 2019-2022: Director of Kontra.Punkt – Association for Critical Education in Graz
- 2017-2021: Speaker of ARGE Youth against Violence and Racism in Graz
Bäumel earned her MA in European Ethnology from KFU Graz and HU Berlin (2018-2021), a BA in Sociology from KFU Graz (2017-2021), and a BA in European Ethnology from KFU Graz (2015-2018). Her academic journey reflects a consistent interdisciplinary approach to cultural analysis.
Her research explores the intersections of gender, class, and political ideology through ethnographic methods. Bäumel examines how factory workers navigate pandemic conditions, how mothers balance reproductive and productive labor under contemporary capitalism, and how authoritarian tendencies manifest in everyday life. Her work often centers on marginalized perspectives, particularly working-class women and their experiences with right-wing populism.
Bäumel's publication record reveals a consistent thematic focus on worker cultures, gender dynamics, and right-wing populism across multiple formats including academic journals, book chapters, reviews, and media contributions. Her collaborative work with scholars like Gregor Berger and Asiyeh Panahi demonstrates a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to critical social issues.
- Board Member of Empirical Cultural Studies Switzerland (EKWS) – Zurich Section
- Member of the Institute for Protest and Movement Research (ipb)
- Member of the German Society for Empirical Cultural Studies (DGEKW)
- Member of the Swiss Society for Gender Studies (SGGF)
Bäumel has served in editorial roles for publications including kuckuck. Notes on Everyday Culture (2017-2020) and Gewitter Journal (2020-2021). Her academic contributions extend to radio programs on Radio Helsinki and public lectures addressing contemporary social issues, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic research with public discourse.
