Nina Jann

Prof. Dr. Nina Jann serves as Professor of Social Work at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Villingen-Schwenningen within the Faculty of Social Work since 2024, specializing in Theories and Methods of Social Work. Her academic career bridges rigorous theoretical research with frontline social work practice, evidenced by prior roles as postdoctoral researcher at Tübingen University's Institute of Education (2020-2024) and school social worker in Tübingen (2017-2020).

Her educational foundation includes:

• Doctorate in Education and Psychology from Freie Universität Berlin (2020) with dissertation Zur Subjektivierung der HIV-Infektion. Mütter mit HIV zwischen gesellschaftlicher Zuschreibung und biografischem Eigensinn
• Studies in Educational Science (Social Pedagogy focus) at Universität Tübingen (2004-2009)

Jann's research critically examines power structures through discourse and subjectification theory, particularly regarding complaint procedures in youth welfare institutions and schools. She investigates how institutional logics suppress youth participation while exploring subject-oriented approaches to transform complaint mechanisms into empowerment tools. Her work consistently centers marginalized populations, especially mothers living with HIV and children in residential care, analyzing tensions between societal attributions and biographical agency.

Recent publications (2023-2025) reveal three dominant trajectories: (1) Institutional analysis of complaint systems in schools/youth welfare exposing power asymmetries, (2) Theoretical development of subjectification frameworks applied to HIV-positive mothers and residential care youth, and (3) Critical evaluations of participation mechanisms revealing implementation gaps between policy promises and lived realities. Her methodology blends discourse analysis with practical social work interventions.

As an active scholar, Jann contributes to professional discourse through memberships in the German Society for Social Work (DGSA), German Society for Educational Science (DGfE), and International Society for Educational Aid (IGfH). Her current work expands into dialogical research methodologies challenging expert authority in social work knowledge production.