معرفی
Michaela Pfadenhauer is a Professor of Sociology specializing in Knowledge and Culture at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna. She serves as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences for Research and Infrastructure since Fall 2020 and previously served as Head of the Institute of Sociology (2018-2020). Her academic career includes positions as University Professor for Sociology of Knowledge at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (2007-2014) and various research roles at German universities.
Dr. Pfadenhauer earned her doctorate summa cum laude from the University of Dortmund in 2002 and completed her Diploma in Political Science in 1994. She has held numerous guest professorships including at Keio University Tokyo, South Florida University, Exeter University, King's College London, and Boston University.
Her research focuses on the sociology of knowledge, social constructivism, mediatization, and lifeworld analysis, with recent work examining science skepticism during the pandemic, social robotics, and knowledge cultures. She employs interpretive social research methods and has developed the LILI project examining lifeworlds of vaccine skeptics. Her work bridges theoretical sociology with contemporary societal challenges including digital transformation, climate change, and public health crises.
Her recent publications demonstrate expertise across multiple domains including the social construction of sustainable reality, digital public spaces, choral communication, and institutional skepticism. Her work shows a consistent pattern of examining how knowledge is constructed, communicated, and contested across different social contexts and technological environments.
Professor Pfadenhauer serves on the Permanent Commission of the Ombuds Office for Good Scientific Practice and evaluates for the European Commission's Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships. She is also Chair of the Section on Sociology of Knowledge of the German Sociological Association and member of the core team of the Research Platform Mediatized Lifeworlds at the University of Vienna.
She teaches courses on sociological theories, research practice with focus on communicative AI and artificial companionship, and realities of science. Her teaching emphasizes the connection between theoretical frameworks and contemporary social phenomena, particularly regarding digital transformation and knowledge production.
