Maria Kontos

Maria Kontos is a researcher at the Institute for Social Research affiliated with Goethe University Frankfurt, where she also serves as a lecturer in migration studies, biographical methods, ethnic entrepreneurship, and transnationality. With a background in sociology, social psychology, and ethnology from Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, she completed her doctorate at Goethe University Frankfurt and has been conducting research since 1992.

Her research focuses on migration and integration policy, gender studies, care work, biographical research methods, and ethnic entrepreneurship. Kontos has led numerous transnational EU research projects since 1992, with continuous research activity at the Institute for Social Research since 2002. Her work employs qualitative methods to examine how public integration discourse affects migrant self-understanding and positioning.

Kontos' recent publications (2022-2014) reveal consistent thematic focus on migrant domestic workers, integration discourse, family reunification rights, and transnational care work. Her research demonstrates strong emphasis on gendered migration experiences and the intersection of migration policy with everyday life. The publications show increasing attention to healthcare sector integration and the impact of economic crises on migration patterns.

Her research projects since 2009 include significant DFG and EU-funded work on public integration discourse, participatory citizenship, nursing staff integration, and Greek migration patterns. These projects demonstrate her commitment to policy-relevant research with practical implications for migrant integration and social policy.

As a lecturer at Goethe University Frankfurt, Kontos contributes to academic training in migration studies while maintaining an active research agenda. Her institutional affiliation with the Institute for Social Research provides a strong theoretical foundation for her empirical work on contemporary migration challenges in Europe.