Markus Brenn

Markus Brenn is a Research Fellow and PhD candidate at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg, Department of Sociology and Human Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences. He has been working at the university since summer semester 2024 on his dissertation project examining the sociomateriality of podcasts.

His research interests span across social theory, new materialism, cultural and media sociology, and qualitative research methods. Brenn approaches media phenomena through theoretical frameworks that bridge sociological theory with materialist perspectives, particularly focusing on podcasting as a sociomaterial practice.

His scholarly presentations demonstrate a consistent focus on media-society interactions, with recent work examining podcast culture and earlier research investigating Instagram's role in identity construction. His upcoming presentation at the 2025 Austrian Sociological Association Congress continues this trajectory by exploring intersections between social theory and new materialism.

As an educator, Brenn has taught courses on Niklas Luhmann's systems theory, youth sociology, and materialism in sociology, demonstrating his theoretical breadth and pedagogical commitment to foundational sociological concepts.

His academic journey began with undergraduate and master's studies in sociology with minors in philosophy and modern German literature at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2013-2019), followed by research positions at LMU and the Institute for Social Work and Social Pedagogy in Frankfurt am Main (2020-2024), where he contributed to the federal democracy promotion program 'Demokratie Leben!'