Marcel Erlinghagen

Marcel Erlinghagen is a Full Professor of Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen and a Fellow of the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin. His academic career spans over two decades with a focus on migration, labor markets, and social inequality. He is actively involved in the Research Training Group 'Cross-Border Labor Markets: Transnational 'Market Makers', Infrastructures, Institutions' funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) since 2024.

His educational background includes a Doctorate in Sociology from the University of Duisburg-Essen (2004), Habilitation in Social Economics from Ruhr University Bochum (2008), and a Diploma in Social Sciences from Ruhr University Bochum (1999).

Professor Erlinghagen's research primarily focuses on migration and integration processes, labor market mobility, job security, and volunteer work. His work examines how these factors intersect with social inequality, particularly in the context of Germany and Europe. He has developed significant theoretical frameworks such as the 'transnational life course' concept for migration research and has conducted extensive empirical work using panel data to track migration patterns, job insecurity, and volunteering behaviors across different population groups.

His publications show consistent trends toward understanding the complex interplay between individual migration decisions and broader structural factors, with particular attention to how migration affects family dynamics, subjective well-being, and social stratification. His research on job insecurity has documented changing perceptions across European labor markets, while his work on volunteering has highlighted patterns among older adults and gender differences in leadership roles within voluntary organizations.

Professor Erlinghagen has received recognition for his methodological contributions to migration research, particularly through the German Emigration and Remigration Panel Study (GERPS), which provides valuable longitudinal data on German citizens who have migrated internationally.

He has supervised numerous students in the BA and MA programs at the University of Duisburg-Essen, focusing on topics related to social inequality. His research has been supported by various funding bodies including the German Research Foundation (DFG).

Within the academic community, he is actively involved in research networks focused on migration, labor markets, and social policy, collaborating with institutions across Europe and contributing to major edited volumes that shape contemporary scholarship in his field.