Susanne Strauß

Prof. Dr. Susanne Strauß serves as Professor of Sociology with a focus on gender studies at the University of Konstanz since October 2014. Her academic trajectory includes Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Tuebingen (2007-2014), Deputy Assistant Professor of Demography at Humboldt University Berlin (2013), and Guest Researcher at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) in Berlin (2012-2013). She earned her PhD in Sociology from the University of Bremen in 2007 and an M.A. in Psychology from the University of Hamburg in 2003.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Sociology (Dr. rer. pol.) from the Graduate School of Social Sciences, University of Bremen (2007)
• M.A. (Diplom) in Psychology from the University of Hamburg (2003)

Strauß's research centers on gendered labor market dynamics, investigating how family structures, educational pathways, and welfare policies produce and perpetuate social inequalities. Her work critically examines wage gaps, pension disparities, and the interplay between paid work, family responsibilities, and volunteering across the life course. Methodologically, she combines quantitative analysis of large-scale survey data with sociological theory to uncover structural barriers in European labor markets.

Her publication record (2008-2014) reveals consistent thematic focus on gender inequality mechanisms, with particular attention to Germany's institutional context. Key patterns include the wage-suppressing effects of female-dominated academic fields, biographical determinants of the gender pension gap, and volunteering as potential labor market reintegration strategy. Her research demonstrates how occupational segregation and educational choices compound gender disparities across multiple life domains.

Strauß has secured competitive research funding as Principal Investigator for a DFG-funded project on "Productive Ageing in Europe," analyzing intersections of waged work, family labor, and volunteering in later life. While no formal student advising records are public, her professorial role entails graduate mentorship. Her institutional affiliations span the University of Konstanz's Faculty of History and Sociology, the Research Department Skill Formation and Labor Markets, and the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) research unit at DIW Berlin.