Robert Schäfer

Robert Schäfer is a Researcher in the Department of Sociology at the University of Basel's Faculty of Humanities. He specializes in the sociology of culture and religion, with particular expertise in secularization theories, non-religion, and secular worldviews. His research examines forms of critique and justification in contemporary society through qualitative empirical methods.

His academic background includes sociology and religious studies studies in Bern, where he also earned his doctorate. Prior to his current position, he worked as a research associate at Magdeburg and Koblenz-Landau universities and as a senior assistant at the University of Fribourg's Department of Social Work, Social Policy and Global Development. He also serves as a sociology lecturer in the history program at FernUni Schweiz.

Schäfer's recent publications demonstrate his interdisciplinary approach, spanning educational research, medical sociology, and sociological methodology. His work shows consistent engagement with theoretical frameworks examining how individuals construct meaning in secular contexts and navigate alternative belief systems.

His research interests prominently feature qualitative methodologies applied to contemporary social phenomena, particularly examining how secular worldviews function in modern society and how individuals conceptualize balance in alternative medical practices.