Philipp Raab

Philipp Raab serves as a Researcher at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology within the Faculty of Human Sciences at the University of Würzburg. He works at the Professorship for Special Sociology and Qualitative Methods of Empirical Social Research, where he conducts research and provides academic advising for the Political and Social Sciences (PSSc) and Social Science Sustainability Research (SowiNa) degree programs.

His research focuses on sociological systems theory applied to digital communication, particularly examining how different social media contexts shape understandings of hate speech. Rather than defining what constitutes hate speech, his work investigates how communicative contexts produce varying interpretations of hate communication. This process-oriented approach represents a significant theoretical shift in the field.

Dr. Raab's research program outlines four key directions: conceptualizing hate as communication rather than fixed content, analyzing diverse communicative contexts, developing a media archaeology of negation and conflict, and investigating how hate communication functions in the formation of public and counter-public spheres. His 2023 publication in The Communication Review with Barth, Wagner, and Wiegärtner establishes this framework for understanding online hate communication.

• Conceptualizing hate as dynamic communication process
• Contextual analysis of hate speech manifestations
• Historical examination of conflict communication media
• Exploring public sphere formation through conflict

Dr. Raab maintains regular office hours during academic breaks (including scheduled appointments in August 2025) and provides academic advising, though notes his capacity for thesis supervision is currently at full capacity, reflecting his active engagement with graduate students.